


Sporty Spice

by SharkGirl



Series: SPICE [4]
Category: Free!, Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball, ダイヤのA | Daiya no A | Ace of Diamond, 弱虫ペダル | Yowamushi Pedal
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, Beach Volleyball, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Hawaii, Idols, Jealousy, M/M, Oikawa Tooru-centric, Oikawa Tooru/Kise Ryouta interactions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-18
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-06-09 06:18:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6893506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SharkGirl/pseuds/SharkGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After finishing their joint tour with DIVER, the members of SPICE are told they'll be visiting the beautiful Hawai'ian island of Kaua'i to film their newest PV and perform a concert.<br/>The downside? Their boyfriends are stuck back home in Japan.</p><p>With frustrations mounting and competitive natures flaring, the members begin to fight.<br/>But when a photographer snaps a shot of Oikawa and Kise in a compromising position, will they be able to talk their way out of it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! The next installment!  
> This one is going to be longer (like Scary Spice) but with less suspense and more drama and scandal, haha.
> 
> I'm really looking forward to this one. I've got a lot of things planned (most of which are already tagged because I know what's coming)  
> I'm also very happy that I got to include a new pairing in this chapter~
> 
> Thanks, as always, to my beta, indevan!

The crowd was cheering loudly, singing along with the chorus as the five members of SPICE clapped their hands against their mics.

“Come on, everybody say!” Kisumi shouted above the music, eliciting a chanting response.

When the song ended, the five stood, gasping for breath, their hands linked and held high over their heads.

“Thank you, Tokyo!”

They were back home for their final show of their joint tour with DIVER.

“You’ve been great tonight,” Mei chimed in, smiling wide.

“But we’re not finished.” Toudou lowered his hand and elbowed the blond in the ribs.  Mei looked affronted at first, but then they exchanged grins.

“We’ve got one more song.” Oikawa stepped to the side and gestured behind them where the lights now shined, illuminating the four members of DIVER – Kasamatsu on guitar, Umemiya on drums, Nao on the keyboard, and their lead singer, Asahi.

The crowd exploded.  This was always the song that brought the house down.

“Our newest song, written by the great and talented Kasamatsu Yukio,” Kise said and then turned back toward the guitarist.  “And it’s a good one, Kasamatsucchi.”  The other man rolled his eyes, but his cheeks tinted just a bit.  Kise faced the audience again and winked.

“Let’s not keep them waiting.” Kisumi thrust his arm into the air.

“Right!” Asahi stepped forward so he was beside the pink-haired man.  “A one, a two…”

“A one, two, three, FOUR!”

After the concert, the members of SPICE and DIVER tiredly dragged themselves to the green room.  They’d finally finished their tour and tensions were high.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

Toudou and Mei, the notorious bickering duo, were actually getting along quite well.  It could have had something to do with the trauma they’d experienced with Mei’s psychotic stalker, but they didn’t talk about it.  They were fine.  And Masa, though he was still technically on a leave of absence, still came to every show, his recovery going very well.

“Share some of the couch, Miya-chan!” Toudou complained, hands on his hips and elegant brows drawn down over dark violet eyes.

“I’m tired, Toudou. Find your own seat,” the blond said, blue eyes still closed.

So much for them getting along.

But that was their relationship, after all.

Oikawa shook his head as he watched the two of them argue over the sofa, a small smile on his lips.  They were finally done.  It was now late August and they didn’t have any big concerts coming up until Christmas.  It was time to relax.

“Kisumi-chan,” the brunet said languidly, draping himself over their leader. “I’m hungry.”

“I think they’re bringing us boxed lunches,” the pink-haired man offered before patting Oikawa’s head.  “Ah, speaking of which, Asahi,” he turned toward the redhead, “Do you want to run out and grab some drinks from the vending machine.”

“Sure, I would-”

“You two are going to go make out, aren’t you?” Oikawa pulled back, a knowing smile on his face, his eyes narrowing.  “Still in that honeymoon phase, are we?”

“Oikawa-san…” Asahi’s face burned brighter than his hair.

“We sure are.” Kisumi winked and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s middle, resting his chin on his shoulder and nuzzling his neck. “Right, Red?"

“Kisumi!” If possible, the shorter man's blush deepened.  Oikawa almost felt sorry for him.

Almost. 

“All right, you two, go abandon me to fool around in the hall closet.” He sighed, mock-dejectedly.  “But,” he leaned closer and whispered in Kisumi’s ear, knowing Asahi could still hear him. “I want details later.”

Asahi opened his mouth, but Kisumi cut him off by kissing the corner of it.

“Let’s go get those drinks.” The pink-haired man grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the door.  “We’re going to get something from the vending machine. Anybody want anything?”

“Ooh,” Kise stepped up, standing beside Oikawa. “Now that you mention it, I’d like a-”

“Okay then, we’ll see you guys later!” Kisumi waved, completely ignoring the blond’s request.

“Hey, they didn’t get my order.” The model’s face fell.

“Oh, don’t mind it, Ryouta-chan,” the brunet said with a chuckle. “Those two won’t be back for a while anyway.”

“Why? The vending machine is only just down the hall.” Kise cocked his head to the side.

“Let’s just say it’s been a long tour and they couldn’t wait until they got back to Kisumi-chan’s apartment.” He gave a sly smile and watched as realization dawned on the younger man’s face.

“They’re not using the closet are they?” he asked, looking offended. “That’s mine and Kasamatsucchi’s!”

“Oh, come off it.” Oikawa waved his hand in dismissal. “You don’t need it. Your honeymoon is over.”

“What?” Golden eyes blinked in surprise. “What does that mean?”

“That Kisumi-chan and Asahi-chan have only just started dating and they’re all over each other and, you know, you and Yukio-chan are,” he paused, thinking of the right word, “comfortable.”

“That’s rich, coming from you,” Mei piped up from the couch, his head resting on Toudou’s lap – their usual compromise.  “You and Iwaizumi-san have been together forever.” He laughed. “You’re downright domestic.”

“Iwa-chan and I are still a hot couple!” Oikawa said, scandalized. “We can’t keep our hands off each other.”

“Oh yeah?” Toudou looked over his shoulder at him. “Cuz I always figured you guys slept in two separate beds, ya know? In the same room?”

“Like fifties sitcom style?” Mei asked from his lap.

“Yeah, can you imagine?” Toudou went on, giving his best Iwaizumi impression. “Tooru, I’m hoooome!”

“Oh!” Mei took Oikawa’s part. “How was your day at the office, Hajime? Let me take your hat. Dinner’s on the table.”

“Sorry, Honey,” Toudou went on, voice low. “I promised I’d play cards with the boys tonight.”

“But Hajime, you promised!” Mei trilled in his fake Oikawa voice.  Kise snorted and they all broke into a fit of giggles.

Oikawa felt the vein on his forehead throb.

He glanced over at the only two people not poking fun at him.  Umemiya and Nao were in their own world, the brunet helping the other remove his makeup while Nao visibly fought the urge to roll his eyes.

There was someone missing.

“Hey,” Oikawa interrupted whatever dialogue Toudou and Mei were having and glanced around the room. “Where _is_ Yukio-chan?”

“Kasamatsucchi had to meet with the producer and manager about something,” Kise answered, done laughing and now looking a little miffed. “Our relationship is just a steamy as Kisumicchi and Asahicchi’s, you know.”

“Sure, sure.”

Just then, the green room door opened and the usual staff poured in.

First in was Masa, and Oikawa thought he looked surprisingly handsome in street clothes.  Mei got off the couch and bounded over to him, stopping just short of tackling him, choosing instead to hug him gently.  Despite how strong and tough their head of security looked, he _had_ just been stabbed protecting Mei from his stalker only a month earlier.  The injury probably still bothered him, though he didn’t let it show.

“Great show tonight, Mei.” He gave that earnest smile of his and Oikawa watched as Mei’s cheeks tinted.  Even though they’d known each other for quite some time, their relationship was new, as well, and the brunet felt a twinge of jealousy at how lovey dovey they were.

Next came Iwaizumi and Arakita.  Oikawa’s cheerful ‘Iwa-chan’ was drowned out by Toudou’s excited screeching.  He flew off the couch and nearly knocked the lanky man over.

“Jinpachi, what the fuck? Every time?” Arakita sneered, but Oikawa saw how his eyes softened as he glanced down at the top of his boyfriend’s head.

“Of course!” Toudou beamed, looking up at him and puckering his lips.

“Everyone’s looking…” the taller man sought Iwaizumi’s help, but Oikawa’s boyfriend was too busy looking away and clearing his throat in discomfort.

“The camera crew’s not here and everyone knows about us.” Toudou brought a finger up and traced nonsensical patterns on Arakita’s chest. “Please?” He batted those thick eyelashes of his and Arakita was a goner.

“Just one.” He leaned closer, closing the gap between them.

“Yay!” Toudou giggled and pressed their lips together.

“Iwa-chan!” Oikawa took the opportunity to get his boyfriend’s attention.  “Iwa-chan, over here!” he called, waving his arm.

“I can see you,” the dark-haired man groused. “You’re less than five feet away.”

“Iwa-chan, mean! I was hoping you’d come running to me.”

“What? Why?”

Oikawa’s face fell and he tried desperately to ignore the snicker coming from the model’s lips beside him.

“You know.” He pushed past Arakita and Toudou and made his way to Iwaizumi. “Cuz I know you can’t keep your hands off me,” he purred, his own hands coming to rest on Iwaizumi’s firm backside and his head ducking down so he could rest his cheek on the other's shoulder.  “But you’ll have to be patient and wait until we get home, okay?”

“Okay…” Iwaizumi raised an eyebrow. “Did they already bring lunch?”

Oikawa huffed and this time he couldn’t ignore Kise’s laughter.  He took a deep breath, ready to give his boyfriend an earful about romanticism and reading the mood, but he was interrupted by the door opening.

“Hey.” It was Kasamatsu. “Lunch is here.”  He stepped to the side, allowing three caterers into the room, each holding a stack of boxed lunches.  After everyone had received theirs – and two extras for their missing parties – the servers left and they all began to eat.

Toudou was on Arakita’s lap on one half of the couch, the two of them comfortably feeding each other.

It was shameless, really.

Masa took the other side of the couch and Mei was perched on the arm, tucked against the larger man’s side as they quietly ate their food.

Umemiya and Nao were over by the vanity, the brunet looking a bit like a kicked puppy as Nao ate quietly, his brow furrowed.

Oikawa felt for him, but he had his own problems.

“So,” Kise began, poking at his rice with his chopsticks. He was seated on a cushion on the floor next to Kasamatsu.  The two of them were sitting across from Oikawa and Iwaizumi. “How was your meeting, Kasamatsucchi?” He leaned heavily onto the older man and Kasamatsu grunted.

“Fine,” he said, continuing to eat.

Oikawa watched them with keen eyes.  He and Iwaizumi were a hotter couple than they were.  Weren’t they?

He thought about it as he chewed and then felt a soft touch on his cheek.

“You’ve got rice on your face,” Iwaizumi said, pushing the grain with his thumb until it was at the brunet’s lips. “You’re such a messy eater.” Oikawa parted his lips and licked the rice from his thumb without a second thought.

“Totally domestic.” He heard Kise whisper and he turned to glare at him.

The shorter men didn’t seem to notice their exchange.

“I thought you’d have a more elegant way of eating, Oikawacchi.” Kise cocked his head to the side, blinking innocently.

“You’re one to talk,” the brunet bit. “You’ve got some on your face, too.”

“Do I?” The blond’s eyes widened.  “Kasamatsucchi-”

“What?” The older man sounded gruff.

“Is there something on my face?” Kise asked.  Kasamatsu looked up from his lunch, his sharp eyes zeroing in on the grain of rice.

“Yeah.” He reached forward and pressed the corner of Kise’s lips with his thumb, lifting it away and bringing it to his own mouth.

He ate it.  Kasamatsu ate the rice that was stuck to Kise’s face. What did that _mean_?

Judging by Kise’s smug expression, it meant that their relationship was sexier.

Oikawa glanced over and saw a tiny bit of food stuck to Iwaizumi’s chin.

Four could play at this game.

“Iwa-chan, there’s some meat,” he began, leaning in and swiping his tongue along the other’s chin, feeling his boyfriend jump in surprise.

“Oikawa, what-”

“Oh, Iwa-chan!” He crushed their lips together, angling his body and moving to sit in his lap, but he never made it that far.  Iwaizumi pushed him back, his dark eyes wide.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” His brows were drawn down, a frown on his lips.

Oikawa thought about telling him what was wrong.  About how he felt like they’d lost their spark.  Like they were being beaten by every other couple in the room.

But, instead, he just sat back down and picked up his lunch, sulking as he quietly finished his meal.

Sometime during his bout of brooding, Kisumi and Asahi had returned, hair mussed and suspiciously without drinks from the vending machine.

When the door opened again, Oikawa couldn’t imagine who it could be.  Everyone was already there.  So, he was surprised to see their producer and manager.

Oikawa knew them from high school, though not well.  Ukai, their producer, had been Karasuno’s coach.  And their manager, Takeda, had been their faculty advisor.  The taller man had since cut his blond hair, only a bit shorter, and was still not tending to his dark roots.  Even with his new money, he still gave off a delinquent vibe, though especially now, standing next to the short, studious-looking Takeda.

“Great show today, boys!” Ukai clapped his hands together. “It’s like you print money.”

“Come now, Keishin.” Takeda side-eyed him before adjusting his glasses.

Oikawa always wondered about their relationship.  But since he felt it rude to tease the man who signed his paycheck, he’d left it well enough alone.

“You all did a wonderful job today,” the bespectacled man continued.  “We wanted to be the first to congratulate you on successfully completing your joint tour.”

“It really went off without a hitch,” Ukai said and then glanced over at Masa and Mei, “erm, for the most part.”

“Anyway.” Takeda rolled his eyes. “We have good news!”

Oikawa perked up.  He needed some good news right about now.

“I made a few phone calls-”

“A few hundred,” Ukai said under his breath, ignoring the glare shot his way from their manager.

“And I successfully booked a small concert for next week,” he finished, eyes slipping into slits as he smiled wide. “We’ll also be filming your next promotional video with the new song Kasamatsu-kun has written for you.”

“You wrote another new song, Kasamatsucchi?” Kise sounded amazed and Oikawa fought the urge to grimace.  The blond was allowed to be excited about that.

“It’s nothing special…” Kasamatsu stared down at his half-eaten lunch, his cheeks pink.

“Don’t be so modest.” Takeda opened his eyes again and then addressed the room. “So, DIVER has the rest of the month off and then that ribbon-cutting event at the new music store in early September.” He took out his planner to confirm.  “And SPICE has tomorrow off and then we’re flying out.”

“Flying out?” Kisumi asked.

“Oh, didn’t I mention?” Their manager ran a hand through his dark, curly hair.  “We’ll be filming the PV in Hawai’i.”

The room was silent for half a millisecond before the men jumped up, excited.

“Hawai’i, Takedacchi?” Kise asked and beamed when the older man nodded. “I haven’t been there since my photoshoot last April.”

“I’ve never been there!” Mei vibrated beside Masa.

“Me, either!” Toudou joined in.  “It’s in America, right? Is it close to England?”

“Jinpachi…” Arakita groaned and put a hand over his eyes.

“What?” The other man blinked, cocking his head to the side.

“I’m going to buy you a globe as a belated birthday gift…”

“I’d like to try some Spam sushi!” Kisumi laughed.

“Bring some cans back for me,” Asahi said, nudging boyfriend’s side.

“Oh, that’s right,” Kise said suddenly, getting their attention. “DIVER doesn’t get to go.” His face fell.

“You’ll be fine without me for a couple weeks,” Kasamatsu said, probably louder than he’d meant to, and brushed some of the blond’s bangs from his eyes.

Oikawa thought that kind of sucked for Kisumi and Kise, and he would have felt bad, but he was too busy thinking about all the romantic things he and Iwaizumi could do.  Sitting together on the plane, maybe taking advantage of the first class’s private restroom and joining the mile high club, sitting on the beach together, sharing a room at the hotel, making love on the sand at sunset and-

“So,” Takeda interrupted his thoughts. “We’ll pick you up in the limo around six a.m. the day after tomorrow,” he said. “Then the eight of us will head to Narita Airport.”

Eight?  Oikawa did some quick math. 

Ukai and Takeda.  Plus the five SPICE members.

That only left space for one more person.

“Eight?” Toudou asked the question before the brunet could.

“Yes,” their manager replied.  “Ukai-kun and I, the five of you, and Masa-san.”

“But what about our crew?” Oikawa felt Iwaizumi’s eyes on him, but he pressed on. “It’s hard to be on the road without our roadies, isn’t it?”

“Actually, the group working on the PV is local and the concert is during a Luau at the hotel, so the stage will already be set for us.” Takeda grinned.

“Look at you saving me money on plane tickets.” Ukai wrapped an arm around their manager and gave him a noogie.  “This is why I love you, Ittesu.”

“Keishin!” He let his first name slip again as he pulled away, clearing his throat. “So, the, uh,” he looked at his notes again, “the road crew will have the next two weeks off.”

Just then, the producer’s phone began to ring.  He fished it out of his pocket and brought it to his ear.

“Ukai,” he answered and then looked at their manager, motioning for him to follow.

“I’ll see you boys in a couple days.” Takeda waved as he walked toward the door. “Enjoy your day off!”

Oikawa was torn.  He was excited about being able to travel to a place he hadn’t been before, but he was sad because Iwaizumi wouldn’t get to experience it with him.

“Iwa-chan-”

“Shut up, Shittykawa," he cut him off and then wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer.  “Take lots of pictures for me, okay?”

The brunet nodded and buried his face in his neck.

 

Their day off whizzed by and suddenly Oikawa was stepping out of the limo and standing in front of Narita International Airport.  He hated leaving Iwaizumi in their bed that morning.  The other man, finally getting a chance to sleep in, shuffled into the living room just as Oikawa was about to leave, kissing him, his stubble brushing against the brunet’s cheek, before he trudged back into their room and flopped onto the bed.

Two weeks with no Iwa-chan.

The other members didn’t look very happy either, but they also might have been tired from their early morning.

“Okay, boys!” Takeda clapped his hands together.  He was out of his usual suit, wearing a loose-fitting button up t-shirt and Bermuda shorts.  “Our flight leaves in an hour and a half, so let’s head to security.”

“Do you think I need to check this?” Ukai came up behind him, holding a huge surfboard.  He was wearing cutoffs and a Hawai’ian shirt so loud, Oikawa was certain they could hear it inside the airport.

“Yes, I believe you will need to check that, Ukai-kun.” Takeda sighed and shook his head, hiding a small smile before he turned back toward them.  “Because Masa-san is still technically on his leave of absence, he has volunteered to accompany us as a chaperone.”

They all looked over at the large man.  He was wearing similar clothing to the other men, but the colors weren’t nearly as bright.  Oikawa watched as Mei sidled up to Masa and laced their fingers together.

He was not looking forward to _that_ all trip.

“Get a room, you two!” Toudou harrumphed and turned his nose up.

Getting through security was easy enough, although Kise had been ‘randomly selected’ by a female TSA agent and was subjected to a  _very_ thorough searching of his person.

“She could have at least taken you out to dinner first.” Oikawa snorted as they headed toward their gate.

“Don’t tease, Oikawacchi!” The blond pouted.

The plane was relatively small, only having a couple dozen rows. They were seated toward the front where the chairs were wider and significantly plusher.  In first class, there were only two seats on each side of the aisle, as opposed to three.

Their manager and producer were seated in the first row across from Masa and Mei.  Kisumi was behind them, listening to music on his earbuds while Toudou yammered on beside him on his phone, leaning his head against the window and sighing repugnantly at his boyfriend on the other line.

“I _know_ I just saw you, but I miss you already,” Toudou said, sounding rather childish, though, Arakita was more than likely still trying to sleep and was in no mood to deal with their resident Ira-Idol.

That left Oikawa sitting beside Kise.  Normally, as the leader and sub-leader, he and Kisumi stuck together like glue, but both Toudou and Kise had insisted upon sitting by the window to help with their airsickness – “Since when?” Oikawa had asked – so they were separated by the aisle.

Toudou whined again and Oikawa snickered.

“He can’t even last a few hours, huh?” the brunet said, turning toward Kise, but the blond was looking out the window.  “Ryouta-chan?”

“I know, but I just wanted to talk to you one last time before our plane takes off.” The blond chuckled. “Well, maybe I _am_ superstitious, Kasamatsucchi!”

Oikawa sighed again and rested his elbow on the armrest closest to the aisle.  He glanced at his bag beneath the seat in front of him, knowing his cellphone was inside.  He reached for it and quickly typed a message.

 _‘About to take off.  The flight attendant is really sexy_ _σ_ _(_ _≧ε≦_ _ｏ_ _)’_

He figured Iwaizumi wouldn’t get it until after they’d landed, so he was surprised when he got a response.

_‘Be safe.’_

Of course the other man wouldn’t react to that.  He never got jealous.

Ever. 

Even so, Oikawa suddenly felt like going home.  Two weeks was a long time.

He was not looking forward to this trip one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's just getting started!  
> Beach Volleyball and compromising positions coming up in the next chapter~
> 
> I was so happy to include UkaTake in this! I love them so much~  
> I wrote a little drabble about them, which I'll post in a moment. (It's probably already posted)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay in getting this chapter completed! I got a little stuck. I knew where I wanted to go, but I wasn't sure how to get there.
> 
> So, as an apology for taking over a week, here's a SUPER LONG chapter~  
> Beach Volleyball ahead!! (This is an AU, so Kise has never played volleyball before)
> 
> Thanks, as always, to my beta, indevan, for putting up with me and this crazy AU!

Despite Oikawa’s ability to live off of little to no sleep, he somehow managed to drift off at some point during their ten hour flight.  He awoke when he felt something kick his foot.  He groggily pulled his leg out of the aisle and snuggled closer to the warm body beside him.  Though there was a huge damp spot under his cheek which made it very difficult to fall back asleep.

Even so, he gave a small stretch and buried his face in the juncture between the other’s neck and shoulder.

But then he felt something drip off of his bangs and onto his cheek.

Oikawa pulled back and rubbed at one of his eyes, wiping away the droplet with his other hand.

“What?” He looked down and another drop fell onto his nose.

“Mmmm…” The man beside him stretched his arms over his head and looked over at Oikawa, golden eyes sparkling. “Sleep well, Oikawacchi?” Kise teased, giving him a grin.

“You…” Oikawa noted the thin lie of saliva starting at the corner of Kise’s lips and continuing down his chin before he brought a hand to the top of his head and froze.  “You drooled on my _head_?!” he screeched, startling the other passengers.

“You drooled on my shirt,” Kise replied simply, tugging at the fabric.

“That’s different…this…” Oikawa pulled his hand away from his damp locks, looking at it in horror.  “Ugh…my hair…” he whined and turned away from him.

He was still tired, pretty grouchy, and hungry.  Thankfully, the captain announced that they were making their final descent.

Oikawa put his tray table up and his seat back in the full upright position, crossing his legs and ignoring the man beside him for the rest of the flight.

When they arrived at the Lihu’e airport, Oikawa was a bit underwhelmed by its normalcy.  It was decorated in simple browns and tans and it looked as though it hadn’t been updated in years. But, when they stepped outside, the beautiful night sky took his breath away.  It was so clear and full of stars.

A warm breeze blew by, ruffling his – now dry – hair and feeling good against his skin.  He took a deep breath and glanced up at the palm trees, silhouetted by the moon.  This place just had a different _feel_ from Japan.

At that thought, Oikawa’s face fell.  Iwaizumi was almost four thousand miles away now.

It was odd, but even though he'd left his apartment more than twelve hours earlier, they had arrived in Kaua'i at ten the night before they left.

Time zones sure were something.

But it was just as well.  Oikawa was still kind of tired.

“Has anyone seen Masa-san?” Mei’s voice pulled him from his thoughts.  The shorter blond was looking around.

“I’m surprised you let him out of your sight,” Toudou teased him.

“Don’t be jealous just cuz Arakita-san couldn’t come.” Mei frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.  “It’s bad enough I’m going to have to listen to you yammer on and on at him on your phone at all hours of the night.”

“Unless you sneak over to Masa-chan’s room,” the other man shot back, mirroring him and raising his elegant eyebrows high.

“Don’t fight, you two,” Kise interrupted, putting a hand on their shoulders.  That seemed to be his catchphrase whenever the five of them were on tour.

“Isn’t that Masa-san over there?” Kisumi pointed to a huge group of girls near the sliding glass doors, all of whom were dressed in traditional Hawai’ian clothing. They were giggling as they put lei after lei around Masa’s neck.

“Welcome to Kaua'i,” one said, batting her eyelashes.

“Should we go over and get-” but Kisumi stopped when he noticed that Mei was no longer standing next to him.  The blond had marched over and pushed his way through the girls, grabbing the larger man’s arm and pulling him back toward the group.

Ukai and Takeda arrived next, the former carrying his giant surfboard, and Oikawa wondered why he didn’t just wait and buy one here.

“Ah, there you are, Masa-san,” Takeda greeted the tall man.  “We thought we’d lost you.”

“Look at all those leis!” Ukai pointed to the flower necklaces around his neck, eyes shooting over to look at the group of girls, who were still waving at Masa.  “Man, Big Kahuna sure is popular, huh?”

They all laughed.  Well, except for Masa and Mei, that is.

Their hotel was a short bus ride away and Oikawa was happy when they finally got checked in.

“I know it’s only around five-thirty Tokyo time, but it’s late here,” Takeda began.  “So, in order to avoid jetlag, I suggest that you all try your best to sleep through the night.”

“Fine by me.” Oikawa yawned.  “I’m wiped.”

“Shall we head upstairs and order room service for dinner?” Kisumi asked.

“You shouldn’t eat right before bed!” Toudou exclaimed, dark violet eyes wide. “It’s not good for you!”

“Oh, come off it.” Mei rolled his eyes and shoved past him as he made his way toward the elevator. “Eating late once won’t kill you.”

“But the long flight has already done so much damage to my complexion,” Toudou whined, eyeing his reflection in the brass paneling of the elevator doors.

Oikawa tuned the two of them out as the doors opened with a ‘ding’ and they all entered the elevator, Ukai and his massive surfboard with some difficulty.

They were on the fourth floor of the hotel.  Oikawa had been too tired, nearly lulled to sleep by the smooth bus ride, to admire the resort’s beauty.  Though, he did appreciate the large, ornate fans on the ceiling and the live parrots flitting about the lobby.

When they reached their floor, they walked out and Takeda handed them their room keys.

As usual, Oikawa and Kisumi were rooming together.  And, even though Mei would have loved to room with Masa, because of his status as an idol and their management’s desire to avoid scandal, the blond was rooming with Toudou.  Ukai and Takeda had the room at one end of the hallway and Masa was rooming alone at the other end.

That just left Kise.

Because there were five of them and most hotels only offered rooms with two beds maximum, Kise was often given his own room.

Oikawa probably would have felt bad about him being lonely, but it seemed more like their youngest member was getting special treatment.  Then again, he _had_ been the reason their group was formed in the first place.  Still, just because he was a genius model and athlete with some singing talent, it wasn’t fair that he got everything.

The brunet glowered.  He was tired and knew he shouldn't be getting so irritated.  Kise was just the fifth person.  It was expected that he’d be the odd one out.

“Tooru, are you alright?” Kisumi asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.  “You’ve been glaring into space for a while now.”

“Oh, was I, Kisumi-chan?” He turned to face the other man and plastered on a smile.  “Just tired, that’s all.”

“Well, let’s turn in.” The pinked-haired man returned the smile and opened their door.

The room was really quite nice, with plush green carpet and walls painted a calming light blue.  The beds were large and had about fourteen pillows arranged on each, looking soft and fluffy like giant marshmallows.

Oikawa wanted nothing more than to flop onto one of the beds and sleep until morning, but, as he ran a hand through his hair and felt the stiff strands on top of his head, he grimaced, remembering how Kise had drooled on his head during their flight.

“I think I’m going to take a bath,” he said and Kisumi nodded from his spot on the bed closest to the window, his legs folded under him as he browsed the room service menu.

The bathroom was smaller than Oikawa had imagined, with the shower and bathtub as one unit, but it would have to do.  He turned on the tap and pulled up the circular metal knob on top of the faucet.  With a metallic whine, water burst forth from the shower head, almost hitting his arm before he pulled back and drew the curtain closed.

“Cold…” he muttered as he stepped back and began taking off his clothes, placing his shirt on the bathroom counter.  At home, Iwaizumi would always get the bath ready for him.  “And complain the whole time.” He chuckled and then smiled at the memory.

This wasn’t their first time apart.  In fact, they rarely got to see each other when SPICE was on tour, but this time felt different.  Maybe it was because they’d only gotten one day off.  Or maybe it was because of what everyone had said about him and Iwaizumi being so ‘domestic.’

Wasn’t that just another word for ‘fizzled out?’  ‘Boring?’  ‘Over?’

Oikawa shook his head and banished the thought.  Just because he and Iwaizumi had been together a long time, it didn’t mean that their relationship was close to ending.

So what if they weren’t sneaking off to make out in storage closets after the show?  So what if they bickered like an old married couple?  So what if Iwaizumi never got jealous?  Ever?  That just meant he trusted him.

Right?

Oikawa tugged down his pants and blinked in surprise when he heard something clatter onto the tiled floor.  It was his cellphone.  He’d forgotten that he’d taken it out of his bag to check the time when they landed.  He must have slipped it into his pocket.

He was more surprised to see that it was flashing, signaling that he had a message.  He quickly unlocked the screen and saw that he had not only one, but three messages.  All from Iwaizumi.

_‘Did you make it?’_

And a half hour later,

_‘You alive?’_

And then only five minutes ago,

_‘Shittykawa, what the hell?’_

“He’s so romantic.” Oikawa snorted and rolled his eyes.  He began typing a reply, but then his phone started to ring.  He saw his boyfriend’s pouting contact image and answered.  “Why, good evening Iwa-ch-”

_‘What the fuck?’_

Oikawa raised his brows.

“Excuse me?”

He heard Iwaizumi let out a whoosh of air against the mouthpiece.  Then he grinned.

“Iwa-chan, were you _worried_ about me?”

_‘You’re always sending me those annoying texts and then you didn’t answer so…’_

“Aww, you _were_ worried!” The brunet smiled wide, even though the other man couldn’t see.

_‘Shut up, Shittykawa.’_

“No need to be shy, Iwa-chan.” He hopped up onto the counter and crossed one leg over the other.  “Do you miss me?”

_‘…’_

“I won’t know if you don’t tell me.” Oikawa glanced over his shoulder at his reflection and grimaced. He had dark circles under his eyes and his hair was sticking up in odd directions, aided by the breezy night and the saliva stuck in his chestnut locks.

After another beat of silence, Iwaizumi spoke.

_‘I made too much for dinner.’_

Oikawa felt his cheeks heat up at that.  Iwaizumi was always the one to make dinner – since the brunet was an absolute disaster in the kitchen – so that meant he was used to cooking for two.  Just the idea that he was making dinner with Oikawa in mind was enough to make his heart swell.

 _Or it was just muscle memory_ , his nasty inner voice suggested. _Since the two of you are so domestic and all…_

He shook his head, not wanting to think that way. Although, Iwaizumi was pretty muscled-brained sometimes.

“So, you have leftovers?” Oikawa asked.

_‘Yeah.’_

“You should invite Arakita-chan over to help you eat it.”

_‘I did. An hour ago.’_

“Aww, Jinpachi-chan must have him in his clutches,” Oikawa said and then laughed.  “I think I saw him dialing before we got out of the elevator.”

Neither spoke for a moment.  Oikawa closed his eyes, just listening to his boyfriend’s breathing on the other end of the line.  What he wouldn’t give to be in Iwaizumi’s arms at that moment, his head tucked under his chin and an arm and leg thrown over his body as they lay together in bed.

“Iwa-chan…I miss you.”

There was a slight pause.

_‘Don’t be stupid. It’s been less than a day.’_

Oikawa opened his eyes and frowned.

“Iwa-chan, don’t you-”

He was interrupted by a knock at the door.

“Tooru, are you almost done?” It was Kisumi. “I’m about to order room service. Do you want anything?”

“I’m fine,” Oikawa said, pulling the phone away from his face. “And I haven’t gotten in yet.”  He could have sworn he heard the other man laugh.  “I’ll be out in a minute.”

“Take your time.”

He brought the phone back to his ear.

“Sorry, Iwa-chan.”

_‘…’_

“Iwa-chan?”

_‘Of course I miss you.’_

That took him by surprise.

“What?”

_‘Don’t make me repeat myself, Trashykawa.’_

Oikawa wasn't sure, but he had the sneaking suspicion that Iwaizumi was blushing.

_‘Take lots of pictures for me and have fun.’_

“I will. I promise.” He couldn’t keep his lips from curving up. “And I promise I won’t miss another one of your messages, okay? I can’t have my Iwa-chan getting sick with worry and going bald prematurely-”

_‘Oikawa…’_

“At least wait until the kids are in college.” Oikawa smiled softly, his chest warm.  “Anyway, I’d better hop in the shower.”

_‘Yeah.’_

“I’ll call you tomorrow night, okay?” he said and then sighed. “Goodnight, Iwa-chan.”

_‘Goodnight.’_

He hung up the phone and clutched it to his chest.  Domestic or not, his boyfriend’s voice still made his heart flutter and that had to count for something.

Oikawa set his phone on the counter and hopped down onto the floor, pulling off his socks and underwear and stepping into the shower.  The warm water felt wonderful on his skin and he closed his eyes to savor it.

He thought back to Iwaizumi’s words and smiled.

_‘Of course I miss you.’_

 

The next morning was an early one.  They had to be up at six in order to eat breakfast and make it to their meet and greet by eight.  It wasn’t a long drive, but they had to be completely dressed and made up before they got there.

They were going to meet with the filming crew for the newest promotional video and, afterwards, there was a handshake event scheduled.  This all had to be completed before lunch, so they could begin their midday filming.

The sunrise and sunset shoots were scheduled for the following days.

Oikawa was not a fan of the outfits they had to wear for this event.  They were all dressed in sequined, brightly colored Hawai’ian-style shirts with white Bermuda shorts and boat shoes.  He felt like a glittery tourist.

But, on the bright side, his shirt was the perfect shade of Seijou Turquoise – his image color.  When they’d chosen their colors, he had insisted that be his.  _Not_ blue.  It most certainly was not blue.

“I think my headband is a shade off.” Toudou frowned at his reflection in the bus window.  His color was orchid purple, but the shirt they’d gotten him was just a little darker, so it didn’t quite match his signature accessory.  “I don’t think I should be seen like this.”

“I’d rather see you than hear you,” Mei muttered from beside him, clad in his own flashy red.

“There’s a limit to how many times I can break up your fights.” Kise put his hands on his hips, the bright sunny yellow of his shirt taking away from his attempt at a stern expression.

“Looks like they’re ready for us,” Kisumi called.  His color was pink and they never seemed to get it to match his hair just right.  Even so, he wore it well and Oikawa could appreciate the way the purple flower pattern accentuated his violet eyes.

Oikawa, whose hair and eyes were brown, sometimes felt less extraordinary than the other members, but, then again, he was gifted with unrivaled beauty, so, if he had unique hair and eyes, too, it just wouldn’t be fair to the others.

 

The midday filming was easy. In fact, they didn’t even need to lip-synch to the lyrics they’d all spent the previous two days learning.  They were told to play around on the beach.

And, apart from Toudou pitching a fit when Mei ‘accidentally’ splashed salt water in his face, it went very well.  They’d even finished early.

When they were done, the film crew began to pack up and Ukai and Takeda appeared.

“Great job, boys!” Ukai beamed, his giant surfboard tucked under his tanned arm.  They’d been outside for only a few hours and he was already two shades darker.  Takeda, on the other hand, had slathered sunscreen on and went as far as to put zinc oxide on his nose.  But, even so, his cheeks and arms were starting to turn pink.

“We have the next few hours free, so enjoy yourselves,” Takeda said, smiling and peering up at the sun before reaching into his back pocket for more lotion.

Masa walked over next, carrying a large beach umbrella over his broad shoulders.  Mei skipped over to him and pulled him toward the water, nearly making the taller man trip and fall out of his sandals.

“One second, Mei,” he said in his deep voice.  He set the umbrella up while Mei impatiently tapped his foot on the sand.  Oikawa thought it was pretty cute, actually.  Or, at least, he would have if he wasn’t jealous of the fact that Mei’s boyfriend had been allowed to come on their trip.

He wondered if he could have asked Iwaizumi to volunteer as a chaperone.  But, they’d only learned about the trip a couple days before.  Still…

“C’mon, Masa-san!” Mei tugged on the larger man’s arm, not even bothering to pester him into taking his shirt off.  “I bought one of those Waboba water balls at the surf shop.”  He pulled out a red and black ball from behind his back.  “Catch for me.”

Oikawa watched as Masa rolled his eyes and hung his head in defeat.  Still, the taller man smiled as he followed Mei out into the water.

He was seated beside Toudou, who was wearing the world’s largest sun hat and sunglasses that were much too big for his face.  He, too, had slathered on the sunscreen and was content to spend the afternoon underneath an umbrella that rivaled the giant one Masa had brought over.

“Want to go for a swim?” Kisumi asked, getting up from his spot on the brunet’s other side.

“Nah, I think I want to sunbathe for a bit,” Oikawa said, stretching his arms over his head languidly.  It was so much hotter here than in Japan.

“Suit yourself,” the pink-haired man replied. “I’m going to try the backstroke!”

“How is he so good?” Ukai said from somewhere behind them.  Oikawa turned and saw that both their producer and their manager were staring out toward the ocean.  He followed their gazes and spotted a blond head of hair behind a large wave.  Then he was suddenly above it, arms out as he balanced on a surfboard, ducking under the curl and grazing the wall of water with his fingers.

“Kise-kun is very talented,” Takeda mused.

“But I took lessons all last week.” Ukai deflated.  He wasn’t holding his board and Oikawa surmised that the blond had borrowed it.  “He said he’d only done it once before, right?”

Of course, Oikawa thought.  That blond genius was good at anything he tried.  It was annoying as hell.  Some people actually had to work hard to get results.

“Why don’t we play some volleyball?” Oikawa heard Takeda suggest and he perked up.

“Really?” Ukai’s eyes nearly sparkled.  “That’s a great idea, Ittetsu.”

Oikawa turned around just in time to see their producer lay a bit wet one on their manager’s lips.

“Damn, I love you.”

“K-Keishin!” Takeda pulled back and covered his mouth. 

Oikawa quickly turned away, so they wouldn’t think he saw. Then he cleared his throat and faced them again.

“Did you say something about volleyball?”

 

As it turned out, a nearby rental shop had a popup net they could use.  It was easy enough to setup, although Ukai got himself tangled more than once, and they were ready to play in no time.

Masa and Mei returned from the water, followed by Kisumi.  Kise was last, the surfboard under one arm while he pushed his wet bangs back with his free hand, looking like he’d just stepped out of an ad for sunblock.

“Okay, so how are we going to do this?” Ukai asked, rubbing his hands together and looking almost too excited.

“I’ll keep score,” Takeda offered. “I’m no good, anyway.”

“You’re plenty good.” Ukai frowned at him. “Remember how I taught you to receive?” He stepped behind him, pressing his chest against the shorter man’s back and lining their arms up so he could grip Takeda’s hands to get them in the proper position.  “You just bend your knees and-”

“I’d really rather keep score,” Takeda blurted out, face red as he danced out of the taller man’s grip.

“Fair enough.” Ukai held his hands up.  “So,” he turned toward the others, “We’ll play three on three, since Ittetsu’s out and I don’t think we could pry Toudou off that towel with a crowbar.”

“He’s right.” The man in question lowered his designer shades and then returned to reading the book he’d brought with him.

“And I didn’t even know he could read.” Mei snickered.

“I heard that.” Toudou glared at him.

“Okay, so Kisumi and Kise are on my team.” Ukai waved them over.  “That leaves Masa-san and Mei for you.”

“Alright.” Oikawa’s face split into a grin.  Even though Ukai had picked the taller, more athletic looking of the bunch, Oikawa knew that Mei was severely competitive and Masa had enough power and height to block anything and slam it back down.  It didn’t matter that Ukai and Oikawa were the only two who had played before.  “Who serves first?”

“Let’s flip for it?” Ukai suggested.

“I think I have a coin.” Takeda reached into his pocket and produced a five hundred yen piece. “Okay, who wants to toss?”

“Go ahead, Oikawa.”

“Oh, no, Ukai-chan.” Oikawa smirked. “Age before beauty.”

“So, that’s how it is?” the older man asked, his own smirk rivaling the brunet’s. “I am your employer, you know.”

“Not now, you’re not,” Oikawa returned. “Now you’re the enemy.”

“Whoa, maybe you two should calm down a bit?” Kisumi suggested, holding his hands out in a placating manner. “It’s just a friendly game, right?”

“The hell it is!” Mei called from the opposite side of the net. “You guys are going down!”

“Mei, we’ve never played before…” Masa rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “Try to have some humility.”

“I’m excited to try something new!” Kise beamed and Oikawa felt the vein on his forehead throb.  He just had to hope this was the one thing that the model didn’t pick up instantly.

After the coin toss, it was determined that Oikawa’s team would be first to serve.

He didn’t want to show off too much, but when he felt the ball in his hands, it was like something took him over.  He threw the ball high and ran after it, jumping into the air and slamming it over the net.  It hit the sand, spinning and burrowing into it before it finally came to a stop.

“Holy shit.” Mei looked over his shoulder at Oikawa.

“He got lucky,” Ukai said as he picked up the ball and tossed it back over. “We won’t let him land another.”

Oikawa caught the ball and spun it around in his hands.  His palm stung from how hard he’d smacked it, but it felt good.  He’d missed the feel of it.  He couldn’t wait to tell Iwaizumi about it when he called him later.

He threw the ball up again and jumped, whamming it once more, but this time Ukai was ready.  The older man dove down and received it, sending it up high.  It was hard to tell if it was over the net or not. 

“Cover!” Ukai shouted and Kisumi stepped up.

“Mei-chan!” Oikawa called and the shorter blond ran forward.  The two jumped, but Kisumi managed to knock the ball onto Oikawa’s team’s side of the net.  All because he was taller.

“Damn it,” Mei growled.

“Don’t mind.” Oikawa brushed it off.  So they got one back.  It didn’t matter.  Ukai was older and had retired years ago.  Oikawa just needed to make sure he covered their side of the sand more.  Mei would make an excellent wing spiker, as long as Oikawa could toss to him.

“Our serve.” Ukai picked up the ball and walked toward the back, but Kise stopped him.

“Do you mind if I give it try, Ukaicchi?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. “I’ve never served before.”

“Uh, sure.” The older man raised an eyebrow, handing him the ball. “Just get it over the net and we’ll take it from there.”

“I’ll try my best!” The blond grinned and walked farther back.  He took a deep breath and threw the ball into the air. 

Oikawa watched as Kise ran forward, throwing his arms back before he jumped high and smacked the ball, sending it whizzing right by Oikawa's face.  The brunet turned around and saw the ball slowly stop spinning, half of it buried in the sand.

“Was that out?” Mei asked, blue eyes wide.

“In,” Takeda called from beside Toudou under the umbrella.

“Yes! I did it!” Kise threw his arm up.

Oikawa glowered.  That was _his_ jump serve.  How many years had he been practicing that, only to have _Mr. Perfect Copy_ replicate it after one try?

“Alright!” Ukai wrapped an arm around Kise’s neck and gave the younger man a noogie.  “Great job!”

“That’s awesome, Ryouta!” Kisumi cheered and ran over to them, embracing them both.

“Don’t celebrate just yet,” Oikawa said with more malice than he'd intended.  “We’ve just gotten started.”

They continued playing for another hour.

Eventually, the other players got bored.  Masa and Mei went back into the water and Kisumi followed after them.  Ukai sat down next to Takeda and accepted a cold beer from the bespectacled man.

But Kise and Oikawa kept playing.

“Aren’t you tired, Oikawacchi?” Kise asked as he wiped his forehead.

“Not even a little.” The brunet rubbed his chin with the back of his wrist, shaking the sweat off of it.  “It’s all tied up.”

“Okay, boys.” Takeda stood up and clapped his hands.  “We’ve got to head back to the hotel for dinner.”

“Finally.” Toudou took off his sunglasses and folded them before putting them in his bag.  “We’ve been out here so long, it was beginning to feel like we were camping.” He paused. “And you know how I feel about camping.”

“Don’t be such a weenie.” Mei shouted as he and Masa walked back over. “Weren’t you the king of the campground or whatever?”

“King of the Mountain.” Toudou put his hands on his hips.

“So? Aren’t you used to nature?” he asked.

“I only like nature when I’m pedaling by it at extreme speeds.”

Oikawa barely heard them.  He was gripped the ball between his hands.  He and Kise each had thirty-nine points.  Just one more.

“Wrap it up, you two,” Ukai ordered, picking up his surfboard and tucking it under his arm. “Unless you want to walk back.”

“Next point wins.” Oikawa said, spinning the ball.

“Alright.” Kise sighed, looking rather exasperated.  “Let’s hurry. I’m hungry.”

That damn genius couldn’t even take this seriously.

“Okay.” Oikawa threw the ball up and ran toward it.  He hit it hard, the sound echoing on the empty beach.  He could practically see it hitting the sand.  The final service ace.  And then he could sleep well tonight.

But it didn’t hit the sand.

Kise dove for it and caught it, popping it up.  Since it was just the two of them, the blond could hit it again.  But it was too close to the net.  Oikawa ran forward, intent on dumping it, but Kise was suddenly right in front of him, moving with God-like speed.  He reached up and spiked it, sending the ball flying past Oikawa and into the sand.

“Finally.” The blond landed softly on the ground. “Let’s go, I’m hung-”

“You think you’re so great, don’t you?” Oikawa growled, fists balled at his sides and his head down.

“What?” Kise sounded surprised.

“Because everything comes so damn easy to you.” He looked up, tears of frustration pricking the corners of his eyes.  “Do you ever stop for even a moment to think about how that makes other people _feel_?”

“Oikawa-san…it’s just a game.” He heard Mei say from his right.

“Oh, that’s rich, coming from you, Mei-chan.” Oikawa snorted.  But he wouldn’t tease the shorter blond about his infamous tantrums now.  Not when Kise was the ultimate source of his frustration.  “I want a rematch.”

“Oikawacchi.” Kise sighed. “It’s late, let’s just-”

“I want a fucking rematch.”

He rarely cursed.  Not like Iwaizumi, who seemed to do it conversationally.  No, he only cursed when he was especially angry.  Like right now.

“Oikawacchi, you’ve been out in the sun too long and you’re probably hungry, so-”

“Shut up!” He roared, marching over to him.  He ducked under the net and got into his face.  “Let’s have a rematch, right here, right now.”

“Oikawa.” Ukai’s voice sounded stern. “Enough.”

He wanted to tell Ukai that it was none of his business.  That he should shut his mouth.  But he had enough sense not to yell at his boss.

“Tomorrow then,” Oikawa said, eyes boring into Kise’s.  “Before our sunset filming.”

“Oikawacchi, I don’t really want to-”

“I said I want a rematch!” He hadn’t felt this angry in a long time.  And the other man didn’t even want to give him a chance to redeem himself.  “This is why I hate geniuses like you!” he growled, pulling his arm back and aiming a right hook at the other’s jaw, but his fist didn’t connect with Kise’s face, instead he found it caught in a large, calloused hand.

“That’s enough, Oikawa-san.”  It was Masa.

He felt an intense heat behind his eyes. Why wasn’t anyone on his side?  Didn’t they see how cruel Kise was being?  How unfair it all was?

His hand was shaking as he lowered his fist.  He turned and walked over to the bus, not speaking or looking at anyone.  And, when they arrived at the hotel, he went straight to his room, skipping dinner.

Oikawa threw himself onto the bed, determined not to cry.  This was stupid.  It was supposed to be a fun game at the beach.  But it was more than that. It was a reminder that, no matter how hard he tried, he’d never be able to become great.  He would always lose to geniuses with natural talent and ability.  No amount of practice could grant him equality.

He sniffled and looked over at his phone.  He’d left it to charge on his nightstand, since he thought he'd be back in his room before it was time to wake up in Japan.  He reached for it and unlocked the screen, finding a familiar number and hitting ‘call.’

_‘Oikawa?’_

“Iwa-chan.” His voice cracked. “I-I…” he sobbed, unable to hold back the tears.

 _‘What happened?’_ His boyfriend sounded worried.

“I…volleyball…and then…” He sniffed. “I lost and…al-almost hit…”

 _‘Tooru, calm down.’_ Iwaizumi’s voice was soft. _‘I can’t understand you.’_

“We,” he paused, taking a shaky breath. “We played volleyball on the beach and I…I lost and Ryouta-chan was just so…” He sighed. “And I hit him.”

_‘You…hit him?’_

“Well…I was going to, but Masa-chan stepped in and-”

_‘You were going to hit Kise?’_

“Because he copied my serve and he beat me and-” he said it all in a rush. “Iwa-chan, you know how prodigies get under my skin and-”

_‘Are you a child?’_

“Iwa-chan?” He blinked in surprise.

_‘You were going to hit someone because he beat you?’_

Of course, when put that way, it did sound bad.  But Kise had been so smug.  At least, Oikawa felt like he had been.  It was all kind of a blur.  Bits of his memory blocked by a haze of frustrated rage.

“But Iwa-chan, he-”

 _‘You haven’t grown up a bit.’_ He heard Iwaizumi sigh. _‘Go apologize to Kise and to everyone.’_

“But he-”

_‘Enough, Tooru.’_

Oikawa sucked in a breath.  Iwaizumi normally used his given name only when they were intimate.  And sometimes when he was being uncharacteristically sweet.  But the way he said it now made Oikawa feel like the scum of the Earth.

_‘Be an adult for once and apologize to your kouhai.’_

“I…” Oikawa trailed off, feeling more tears threatening to fall.  It was like middle school all over again.  Iwaizumi always took their side.  He never even tried to understand Oikawa’s feelings.

_‘Call me back when you’ve calmed down.’_

And then there was silence.  Iwaizumi had hung up.

Oikawa stared at his phone and threw it against the mountain of pillows on his bed.  Then he fell against them, trying to hold back his tears.

“Stupid Iwa-chan.” He sniffled. “Stupid Ryouta-chan…”

 

A few hours later, Oikawa awoke to the sound of his hotel room door opening.  He must have fallen asleep.

“How are you feeling?” Kisumi asked, voice soft and gentle, if not a little apprehensive.

“Fine,” he lied, not wanting to bother the other man with his problems.  He’d taken enough of his anger out on other people today and Kisumi didn’t deserve it.

He sat up and looked out the window.  It was already dark outside.

“We stayed and watched fire dancers after dinner,” Kisumi explained as he started getting undressed. “We told everyone you had a migraine.” He paused. “I hope that’s okay.”

“That’s fine…” he lied again.  He didn’t like the others covering for him.  Iwaizumi was right, he was acting like a child.  “Is Ryouta-chan in his room?”

“I believe so.” Kisumi turned toward him, violet eyes unsure.

“I want to apologize.” Oikawa explained, getting up off the bed and knowing he had sheet marks on the side of his face, but not caring.

“Oh.” The pink-haired man smiled. “That’s a good idea.”

Oikawa felt a little bit of anger bubbling up in his chest.  Even Kisumi was on the blond’s side.  But he pushed it down and offered his own smile in return.

“I’ll be back.”

The walk to Kise’s room was short.  It was just on the other side of Toudou’s and Mei’s and before Masa’s at the end of the hallway.  For a moment, Oikawa thought he spotted something moving out of the corner of his eye, but, when he turned he didn’t see anything.

“I’m probably still half asleep,” he muttered to himself under his breath.  His whole sleep schedule was out of whack because of the time change and he felt like he’d spent the majority of the trip unconscious.

He stopped in front of Kise’s door and took a deep breath before rapping on it with his knuckles.  Almost a full minute went by and, just as Oikawa was about to turn and leave, the door opened.

“Yes?” Golden eyes widened. “Oikawacchi?”

“Hey.” He felt like he couldn’t look him in the face.  His behavior had been embarrassing, but, more than that, he was still pretty angry at the other man.  But, even so, he needed to apologize.  “So,” Oikawa began, rubbing the back of his neck and looking anywhere, but at Kise. “I’m sorry…” He cleared his throat. “You know, for earlier.”

“Oh.” Kise said.  “Well, it’s no big deal.”

Oikawa snapped his head up. 

“No big deal?”

“Yeah.” The blond shrugged. “People get angry at me sometimes. I’m used to it.”

“Used…to…” Oikawa blinked. “I was going to hit you.”

“Yeah, but Masacchi stopped you, so it’s fine.” Kise stifled a yawn. “Well, goodnight.”  He moved to close the door, but Oikawa pressed his palm against the painted wood.

“Are you serious right now?” He looked up at the younger man, brows drawn down.

“Um…yes?”

“You’re not the least bit bothered?”

“Like I said, I’m used to it.” Kise sighed, losing a bit of his composure, but still smiling. “People used to get mad at me all the time in middle and high school because of my natural talent, so-”

“If you know it pisses people off, then why do it?” Oikawa took a shaky breath, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.

“I was having fun,” Kise replied simply. “You’re really good, Oikawacchi, and it’s rare that anyone can challenge me-”

“You’re unbelievable.” Oikawa shook his head. “Volleyball was my life! Do you understand that?”  He knew he was speaking too loudly, but he couldn’t help it. “Every day I worked and worked and you just waltz in and decide-”

“Oikawacchi, calm down.” Kise held his hands up. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“And now I’m making _you_ apologize.” He shoved his hands into his hair, gripping at the strands.  He was so pissed at everything.  He was mad at Kise for doing effortlessly what he took years to master.  He was mad at Iwaizumi for pointing out his childish behavior instead of just agreeing with him.  And most of all, he was mad at himself for feeling this way.  It was just a game.  A stupid game.

Suddenly, he felt hands on the side of his head, gently pulling his fingers out of his hair.  He released his grip, but the larger hands didn’t move, they held on firmly as Kise leaned forward, so close their noses brushed.

“Oikawacchi, calm down.” He repeated, tone serious.

Oikawa thought he heard something click from somewhere behind him, but he couldn’t turn to look, Kise was keeping his head still.

“You came here to apologize,” Kise began, speaking slowly, golden eyes unwavering.  “I accept your apology.”

Finally, Oikawa pulled away, swatting at the other’s wrists until he removed his hands from the sides of his head.

“Thank you,” he said, not looking at Kise. “I’m going to bed.”

He felt a large hand on his head again, brushing through his hair in a soothing fashion.

But it wasn’t soothing.  It made him think of Iwaizumi and how much he’d rather be with him right now, having him stroke his hair and tell him that it was just a stupid game and everything was okay.

Iwaizumi would have stopped him from overreacting and making a fool of himself.  Again.

“Goodnight, Oikawacchi,” Kise sighed, letting his hand fall. “And, I’m sorry, too.”

“Yeah.”

Oikawa heard another clicking sound, but when he turned, no one was there.  He shook his head and faced Kise one last time.

“Goodnight.”

And, with that, he headed back to his room, ready to sleep the night away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What was that clicking sound? Hmm...I wonder.
> 
> Get ready for some drama in the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, finally got this chapter done! I had it sitting on my desktop half-written for a week!
> 
> Please enjoy the drama and scandal!!
> 
> Also, look at this [amazing art](http://jubesy.tumblr.com/post/145433500830/ironnheart-wips-of-my-newest-project-once-i) by [@ironnheart](http://ironnheart.tumblr.com)! I can't wait until it's finished~ So excited XD *screaming*
> 
> Thanks again to my beta, indevan, for helping me get through this chapter, lol.

Oikawa knew he’d slept late.  He could tell by how bright the sun was shining against his closed eyelids, desperately trying to break through.  He absently wondered what had woken him up, but then he heard another beeping sound.  Without opening his eyes, he reached over for his phone and swiped at the screen with his thumb.

He sat up and rubbed an eye with the heel of his hand before pushing his bangs back and peering at the message.

 _‘Sorry to wake you, Tooru.’_ It was from Kisumi. _‘But breakfast is almost over. Please come down before they close the buffet.’_

There was a second message, which was probably the beeping he heard.

_‘I would have woken you up, but you looked like you could use the rest.’_

Oikawa was about to reply, when a third message popped up.

_‘Jinpachi and Mei keep giggling about something. Please come down and help me wrangle them!’_

The brunet shook his head and chuckled, his throat dry.  He quickly typed a reply, stating that he would be down as soon as he showered.

He got out of bed and walked over to the en suite bathroom.  His whole body ached.  Of course, that could have had something to do with the fact that he hadn’t held back during their ‘friendly’ game of beach volleyball the day before.

Oikawa really hated how petty and competitive he could get.  Sometimes he wished he could turn that part of his personality off.

 _Then what would be left?_   His inner voice taunted.

He scrubbed his face with his hands and stared at his reflection.  He would definitely need some concealer today.  The dark circles beneath his eyes had him looking like a grouchy panda.

Despite what Iwaizumi would lead others to believe, Oikawa was actually very fast when it came to getting ready in the morning.  Maybe it took him a couple hours in high school, but he’d mastered his routine now.

When he emerged from the bathroom, clothed and hair coiffed to perfection, he noticed that his phone was flashing.  He quickly unlocked it and saw that Kisumi had sent him yet another message.

_‘Takeda-san asked if you could bring Ryouta down with you. I guess he overslept, too.’_

Oikawa rolled his eyes.  Even though he’d apologized, he was still in no mood to deal with that genius this morning.  But, if it was for Takeda and Kisumi, he’d do it.

The plan was simple, Oikawa would just walk up to Kise’s door, knock a couple times and tell him to hurry up or he’d miss breakfast, then he would make his way to the elevator.  It’s not like he had to see him.

But things never seemed to go according to plan.

Oikawa was standing in front of Kise’s door, one fist raised and poised to knock, when the door opened, revealing a slightly disheveled blond.

“Oikawacchi?” Golden eyes blinked in surprise.

“Breakfast’s almost over,” he said simply before giving the taller man a once over. “You look like hell.”

“I was up late talking to Kasamatsucchi,” Kise admitted, cheeks tinting.  He straightened his shirt, which had been slightly cockeyed, and fixed his bangs, instantly transforming him from ‘clumsy-looking shoujo manga heroine’ to ‘professional model’ in an instant.

Oikawa wondered if he even needed to use any product on those golden locks.  But he shook his head and began walking toward the elevators.  He heard Kise close his door and then hurried footsteps as the younger man caught up to him.

“So, Oikawacchi slept late, too?” he asked.  “Were you talking to Iwaizumicchi all night?”

Oikawa froze and the other man nearly bumped into him.

He’d forgotten to call Iwaizumi back.  He groaned and began walking again.

After he’d apologized to Kise, he went straight back to the room, got ready for bed, and hit the mattress – most literally.

“Because,” Kise continued, obviously assuming Oikawa wouldn’t answer, “Kasamasucchi and I talked until almost three in the morning.”  He gave a giddy smile.  “He’s writing another solo for me.”

They stepped into the elevator and Kise pressed the button for the lobby, still yammering on about his and Kasamatsu’s ‘magical’ conversation.

Oikawa and Kise made it just in time to get plates and make one sweep of the buffet before the caterers began to remove the chafing dishes and extinguish the Sternos.  They easily spotted their group – considering they were the only ones left in the restaurant – and took their seats.

It was at that moment that Oikawa realized he hadn’t eaten since lunch the day before.  His mouth watered as he stared down at his plate of fluffy eggs and mini Danish – not his favorite, but there wasn’t much left to choose from.  He grabbed his fork and was about to take a bite, when he felt eyes on him.

He glanced up and saw that their three other members were staring at either him or Kise.  He set his fork down and raised an eyebrow.

“What is it?”

“So…are we not going to talk about what happened last night?” Toudou asked, an elbow on the table and his chin resting in his palm.

“Talk about what?” Kise asked before Oikawa had a chance.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Mei rolled his eyes, his own stance mirroring Toudou’s. “Maybe the fact that two of our band members hooked up?”

“What?!” Oikawa and Kise exclaimed together.  The brunet scanned the others’ faces, searching for a tell.  “Who?”

Kisumi looked between them and then cleared his throat.

“Um, you two?”

Oikawa wanted to laugh.  He wanted to cry.  Such a suggestion was ridiculous.  Absurd.  Completely impossible.

But before Oikawa had a chance to react, Toudou pulled out his cellphone.  The screen showed a picture of Kise and Oikawa.  It was dark and a little grainy, but it was obvious that the blond had a hand on either side of the brunet’s head and, although their faces weren’t in view, they were extremely close.

Oikawa frowned at the image. 

“Where did you find that?” he asked.

“The better question is ‘Where _can’t_ you find it?’” Mei took out his own phone, its screen showing the same image, but on a different website.  “It’s all over the web.”

“ _Kise Ryouta and Oikawa Tooru of SPICE…Involved_?” Kisumi read the title of the article brought up on his phone.  “ _The lovers share a passionate kiss before bed_.”

“No…that’s…” Oikawa baulked.  “That’s preposterous!”

“I know.” Toudou shook his head. “They didn’t even give you top billing, Oikawa-san.”

A million things went through the brunet’s head then.  The clicking he’d heard.  It was a camera.  The person he thought he saw really had been there.  The angle was misleading.  Now everyone would have the wrong idea.  Idols weren’t allowed to date.  This could be the end of his career.  The end of their group.  All because he couldn’t just leave after Kise had accepted his apology.

“So, did you really kiss?” Mei asked.

“No, of course not!” Oikawa screeched.  The others didn’t look like they bought it.  He turned toward Kise and shook his shoulder.  “Tell them, Ryouta-chan!”

But the blond didn’t answer.  He was staring straight forward, stiff as a board.

“Ryouta-chan…?”

“Kasamatsucchi is going to be so mad.” Kise’s face was white.

Oikawa hadn’t even thought about that.  What if Iwaizumi had seen the picture?  What if he thought Oikawa hadn’t called him back because he was busy shacking up with Kise?  He needed to call him right away.

But he had barely reached for his phone when Ukai, Takeda, and Masa returned to the table.

“The car is waiting outside,” their manager said, adjusting his glasses and checking their schedule on his tablet.  He blinked and looked over at Toudou. “Did you send me an e-mail?”

“We just figured you’d want to see it now, so you can start working on damage control,” Mei answered for the both of them.

“Damage control?” Ukai raised an eyebrow and peered over Takeda’s shoulder, glancing down at the screen as the older man clicked the link Toudou had sent.

Masa sat down beside Mei and Oikawa heard him whisper to him.

“What’s going on?”

But the blond didn’t answer and he needn’t have, since Masa would learn soon enough.

“What is this?” Takeda looked up from the screen and at Oikawa and Kise.

“It’s not what you think.” Oikawa held his hands out. “I wanted to apologize,” he began and then paused, “to all of you, actually.” He cleared his throat. “Um, but I went to apologize to Ryouta-chan last night and things sort of got heated and-”

“You made out?” Mei asked, blue eyes sparkling.

“No!” Oikawa glared at him. “I was getting upset and Ryouta-chan was just trying to calm me down.”

He hated to admit it, but Kise had been acting like a gentleman – despite the cocky and prodigious air about him.

“It’s hard to tell at this angle,” Takeda mused. “But this is very incriminating…”

“I know, but you have to believe me,” Oikawa pleaded. “I would never do anything that might lead to a scandal and I would never cheat on Iwa-chan.”

Iwaizumi.

What did Iwaizumi think?

He needed to call him right now.  To apologize.  To explain.

Takeda’s eyes were scanning the tablet’s screen as he scrolled.  Suddenly he stopped, focusing on one page in particular.  Ukai, whose chin was now resting on their manager’s shoulder, side-eyed him.

“It’s not a bad idea,” their producer said.

“How did you know what I was thinking?” Takeda asked.

“Please, don’t insult me, Ittetsu.” Ukai pulled back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know your excited face when I see it.”

“Even so...” The older man adjusted his glasses and looked back at the screen.  “Do you think it would work?”

What were they talking about?

“Think what would work?” Oikawa asked, but he was ignored.

“It’s worth a shot,” Ukai said. “If we play our cards right, it could be very lucrative.”

“ _What_ could be?!” Oikawa asked, standing up and slamming his hands on the table.  Thankfully, the restaurant was empty.

“Let’s all head out to the limousine,” Takeda said, tucking his tablet under his arm.  “We’ll take your breakfasts to go and discuss the matter there.”

 

Oikawa felt sick to his stomach.  He managed to keep his breakfast down, but it was difficult.

The entire world thought he was dating Kise.

Iwaizumi probably thought something had happened.

He checked his phone again and saw that there were no new messages.  He sighed and rested his head against the window, staring up at the beautiful blue sky and wondering if his boyfriend – his _actual_ boyfriend – was even awake yet.

Oikawa looked across the car.  Takeda was still on his phone, every-so-often saying something to Ukai before speaking into the receiver again.  Toudou was texting away, his elegant eyebrows drawing down every time he checked for a response and found none.

“It’s not even five in the morning there yet.” Mei elbowed Toudou in the side.  “Give it a rest, will you?”

“Well, you interrupted us last night, Miya-chan!” the dark-haired man screeched, only to be hushed by Kisumi on Oikawa’s side.

“Takeda-san is on the phone,” Kisumi hissed – though he didn’t look stern at all – and then turned toward Oikawa.  “How are you feeling?”

Well, let’s see.  Oikawa’s boyfriend was over four thousand miles away, the entirety of their fanbase thought he and Kise were hooking up, and the scrambled eggs he’d forced himself to swallow were threatening to ruin the limousine’s upholstery.

“Just peachy.” He grinned at their leader, who wasn’t buying it, but just sighed and turned back to break up another one of Mei and Toudou’s squabbles.

Oikawa glanced over at Kise.  The blond was looking out the window, a slight frown on his face.

Before he had a chance to say anything, Takeda ended his call and cleared his throat.

“As you all know, we have a filming for our PV this evening,” he said, looking at each of them, save for Masa, who was seated in the front next to the driver.  “Before that, we’re headed to a meet and greet where we’ll have a Q&A session followed by a handshake event and a drawing where ten lucky fans will be able to spend the afternoon with you.”

“Ugh, is that today?” Mei rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands, but their manager ignored him.

 

“I just got off the phone with our team back in Tokyo,” he explained. “They’ve been monitoring the viral images and following the threads and blogs of those sharing it.”

“It’s like that movie, Hackers!” Ukai said excitedly and Takeda just pat his shoulder and continued.

“They all agree that it’s a good idea.”

“What’s a good idea?” Oikawa asked, suddenly feeling a sense of dread.

“For you and Kise-kun to go along with it,” Takeda said simply, adjusting his glasses.

“Go along with what?” Kise asked, finally looking away from the window.

“Being a couple, of course.” Their manager grinned, his eyes slipping into slits.

The five band members stared at him.  For once, Toudou and Mei didn’t dare say anything remotely snarky.

Oikawa was certain he’d be revisiting his eggs.  His stomach churned.

“With all due respect, Takedacchi,” Kise began, looking angrier than Oikawa had ever seen him.  “I will not leave Kasamatsucchi.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

The blond pulled back and blinked.  “But you said-”

“I’m simply asking that you two pretend that you’re a couple,” he said. “There are sure to be plenty of questions regarding your photo at the meet and greet and, although I don’t want you to openly admit that you’re dating, I would like you to hint toward it.”

Well, they couldn't outright say it anyway.  Idols didn't date.

“Ittetsu,” Ukai cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. “What are you planning?”

“I want to gauge the fans’ reactions.” Takeda took out his tablet again, scrolling through a page as he spoke.  “We’ll lay it on thick this afternoon and see if the ‘scandal’ is worth the publicity.”

“So.” Oikawa’s throat suddenly felt very dry. “We’ll just be pretending.”

“Yes.” The older man looked him in the eye, gaze serious. “I would never ask you to break up with your boyfriends just to make money.”

“I would-” Ukai began and Takeda kicked his shin.

“Just act like you’re in a relationship until we’ve gathered enough information,” he said. “At that time, we’ll decide if it’s a good idea to formally announce it.”

Formally announce it.

“Is it okay if I call Kasamatsucchi and tell him about it?” Kise asked, eyes flicking over to Oikawa before he focused on their manager again.

“Of course,” Takeda said. “I certainly wouldn’t want to jeopardize your relationships with a misunderstanding.”

This was Oikawa’s chance.  He could finally call Iwaizumi back.  He could explain that he’d been the bigger man – sort of – and apologized to Kise – more or less – the night before.  And then he could explain the photo before his boyfriend jumped to conclusions.

The partition separating the back of the car from the driver lowered automatically and Masa turned to face them.

“We’re here.”

“Good.” Takeda smiled at him.  “Masa-san will escort, Shigino-kun, Toudou-kun, and Narumiya-kun inside,” he began. “Ukai-kun and I will take you two to a separate area, so you can make your phone calls.”

 

Oikawa was pacing back and forth as he waited for Iwaizumi to answer.

Finally – _finally_ – on the seventh ring, his boyfriend picked up, voice sounding gravelly, like he was still half-asleep.

_‘Tooru?’_

“Iwa-chan!” he greeted, his heartbeat suddenly picking up.  “Um, how are you?”

 _‘Uh.’_ He grunted and Oikawa could practically see him scrubbing his face with a hand as he sat up in their bed. _‘Fine. What time is it?’_

“It’s nearly eleven here.”

 _‘Yeah?’_ He grumbled something else, but Oikawa couldn’t understand it.

“Um…Iwa-chan, did you, uh.” He cleared his throat. “Did you see-”

 _‘The photo?’_ Iwaizumi asked, voice level and sounding more awake.

“Y-Yeah.” Oikawa stopped and shook his head. Why was he so nervous? It wasn’t like he’d actually cheated on his boyfriend. “About that-”

 _'I know I said to make up with him, but I didn’t mean_ make out _with him.’_ Iwaizumi gave an awkward, strained chuckle.

“Iwa-chan…did you…” Oikawa blinked. “Did you just make a joke?”

_‘Hey, I’m not serious all the ti-’_

“Hold on, I’m still trying to get over this amazing development.” He placed a hand over his chest, even though the other man couldn’t see.

_‘Shut up, Shittykawa.’_

“Ah, he’s back to normal.” Oikawa laughed and then sighed. “So, you know that picture…it’s not what it looks like.”

_‘I know.’_

“You…do?”

 _‘It’s all in the angle,’_ he said, failing to stifle a yawn. _‘Besides, you’re not into him.’_

Oikawa felt a little annoyed, but he kept it down.

“So, Iwa-chan, what were you doing looking up scandalous idol photos?”

 _‘Don’t even.’_ And Oikawa could practically hear the eye roll.  _‘Arakita forwarded it from Toudou.’_

“Oh.” He deflated.  So, not only was Iwaizumi completely unfazed by his supposed betrayal, he also hadn’t even looked up the picture himself.  His boyfriend was a famous idol, didn’t he Google him from time to time?

_‘Anyway, I’m going to try and get some more sleep before I have to get up and go to the gym.’_

“That’s my muscle-brained Iwa-chan,” Oikawa tried to play it off, making his voice sound bubblier than usual.  “Make sure to take a few selfies. Or, should I say, Swolfies?”

 _‘You, too,’_ Iwaizumi said and then quickly followed with, _‘Take pictures, I mean.’_ He paused. _‘You haven’t sent any from your trip.’_

That’s right. Oikawa hadn’t taken his phone with him the previous day.

“Sure thing. Anything for my Iwa-chan.” He pulled the phone away and snapped a quick one, throwing up a peace sign and winking.  “Here you go.”

_‘I meant of the island, you narcissist.’_

“Iwa-chan, mean!” Oikawa shouted and then remembered the reason he called. “Um, I know you know the picture is fake, but, starting today…” He took a deep breath.  “Ryouta-chan and I have to pretend to be lovers.”  He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for his boyfriend to yell at him, but when Iwaizumi spoke, his voice didn’t sound any angrier than usual.

_‘For publicity?’_

“…yeah.” Oikawa blinked and then continued. “It’s just for pretend and it’s not like we have to kiss or anything.”

_‘Well, it can’t be helped.’_

That was it?  That was all his boyfriend of five years and best friend of a lifetime had to say about this?

“I mean, we might have to kiss.”

_‘Okay.’_

“And hold hands and act all lovey dovey.”

_‘Oikawa, I’m tired.’_

“Right.” He bit his lower lip, ignoring the way his eyes burned.  “I’ll talk to you later, Iwa-chan.”  He didn’t give the other man a chance to say goodbye before he ended the call and stuffed the phone into his pocket.

Iwaizumi didn’t care.  Oikawa had to pretend to date someone else and his boyfriend didn’t even care.  Was there nothing that would make that man jealous?

“Stupid Iwa-chan,” he sniffled and rubbed at his eyes.  There was no way he was going to cry.  Not right before meeting his fans.

 

The question and answer portion of their meet and greet actually went very well.  Many of the girls - girls being their primary target audience - asked about their favorite foods or why they chose their image colors.  It wasn’t until the session was almost over that one brave young woman asked the question that begged to be asked.

“Oikawa-san.” She stood up and twiddled her fingers, eyes downcast as her cheeks tinted pink. “Is it true? Um, about you and Kise-kun?”

His eyes shot over to Takeda who was standing offstage.  His manager nodded and he turned back to look at the girl.

“Ryouta-chan and I are very close,” he began and glanced down at the blond.  The five of them were seated at a long table on the stage, each with a microphone in front of them.  They were in age order, so Toudou and Mei separated him from Kise.  “Right, Ryouta-chan?”

“Oikawacchi…” Kise faked being shy and ducked his head.

The audience erupted with squeals and Oikawa had a feeling he knew what the results of their little ‘test’ would be.

 

Once the handshake event was over, it was time to choose the lucky ten fans who would be joining them at a nearby beachside resort for the rest of the afternoon.

Oikawa wasn’t the least bit surprised when the girl who’d asked the last question was chosen.  It was a random drawing, but that was just his luck.

 

And so, Oikawa found himself seated at the bar, a carved coconut tiki cup in his hand as he nursed the fruity drink inside, slurping it through the bendy straw.  There were two girls beside him.  They yammered on incessantly and he, not wanting to disappoint any of his fans, plastered on a smile and chatted back, answering their questions and skimming over the ones that dealt with his and Kise’s ‘relationship.’

They only paused when they heard a bunch of girls exclaiming at once.  Oikawa looked over and saw that Kise had returned from the water, his surfboard under his arm and his hair and skin still wet.

“That was amazing Kise-kun!” one of the girls gasped.

“How did you get so good at that?” another asked.

“I learned from my friend Kagamicchi,” he answered, flashing a million dollar smile.  “He surfs in California.”

“Wow, I’ve never been there!” a girl said.

“This is as far east as I’ve traveled,” the first girl added.

Oikawa knew that most of the fans at their meet and greet would be from Japan.  He knew they had a following in Hawai’i, but their fans back home were serious, plus, this was probably a nice vacation for them.

“You’ll have to go sometime,” Kise said, golden eyes lighting up.

“Ooh, if I do, maybe you could give me a tour?” the girl asked, placing a hand on his chest and leaning close, her breasts practically popping out of her swimsuit as she pressed them up against him.

“Sure,” he replied, seemingly unfazed.

Now, Oikawa wasn’t jealous, but he was a little miffed that his ‘boyfriend’ – fake though their relationship may be – was letting a girl shamelessly flirt with him while he was sitting right there.

“Ryouta-chan,” he called, batting his eyelashes.  Instantly, the girl released him and pulled back.  “How are the waves?”

“Pretty rough, actually.” Kise set his board down and took the empty bar stool beside Oikawa.  “Takedacchi was right when he told Meicchi not to go out too far.”

Oikawa made a noncommittal noise and returned to sipping his drink.

“Kise-kun, do you have a drink you like?” one of the girls asked and the blond turned his full attention on her, going into detail about his favorite alcoholic beverage.

“You’re underage,” Oikawa muttered under his breath, getting annoyed.

“What’s that, Oikawacchi?”

“I’m going for a swim.” He stood up and marched away.  He knew he was being childish and rude, but he didn’t want to be over there anymore.  He was starting to feel _jealous_ over his fake boyfriend.  Meanwhile, his _real_ boyfriend didn’t feel the slightest bit jealous at all.

Oikawa walked out onto the sand and removed his shirt, tossing it to the side and slipping out of his flip-flops.  He took his phone out of his pocket and thought about taking a picture of the ocean and sending it to Iwaizumi, but shook his head and set the phone down on top of his shoes.

He didn’t feel like it.

He stepped into the water and stopped when he heard his name.

“Oikawa-san.” It was the young woman from earlier. “Where are you going?”

“I just felt like going for a swim.” He turned back toward her, his face a mask.  “I’ll be right back.”

He didn’t wait to hear what she had to say in reply.  He waded out into the water until it was up to his chest and then began swimming.  He wasn't a particularly strong swimmer, but he enjoyed treading water and feeling weightless.  However, Kise had been right about the waves being rough.

Oikawa decided he’d cooled off enough and turned to swim back, but when he did, he saw how far he’d drifted out.  Toudou’s umbrella looked tiny from where he was.

He felt panic grip his chest, but he forced himself to calm down.  He just had to take his time and pace himself.  He could make it back.

But the rip current was too strong.  The harder he swam, the more it seemed to pull him away.  Finally, he managed to move closer, but his arms and legs were killing him.  He suddenly pictured Iwaizumi chastising him for not working out more.  He shook the thought and continued paddling.

Now he could see the others on the sand in the distance.  They were waving at him, but he didn’t have the strength to wave back, he just kept pushing forward.

Suddenly, they were shouting.  He wasn’t sure at what, but he never got a chance to ask.  He felt something hit the back of his head and then he was sinking.  Blearily, he gazed up at the blurred circle of light above the water’s surface, watching as it grew smaller and smaller.  He opened his mouth and a rush of bubbles flew out of it.

He closed his eyes as darkness began to creep into his vision.  His last thought was of how he should have taken a picture for Iwaizumi, before everything went black.

 

Oikawa was sleepy.  No, he was more than sleepy.  He was exhausted, completely worn out.  His head hurt and his chest hurt.  His whole body ached.  He wanted to sleep forever.

But just as he was contemplating eternal slumber, he felt warm, soft lips against his own.  His first thought was that Iwaizumi hadn’t woken him up with a kiss like this in a long time.  His second was that his boyfriend must have finally started using the lip balm he’d gotten him for his birthday.

He felt the lips part and he sighed into it, opening his own mouth, but instead of deepening the kiss, he felt a rush of air being forced into his lungs. 

Oikawa turned to the side and coughed, his throat burning as salt water was forced out of his windpipe.  He leaned up on his elbow and dry-heaved into the sand.

“Thank goodness you’re alright.” It was Takeda. He was kneeling beside him, a worried expression on his face.

“What…what happened?” He glanced around, his vision still swimming.

“We saw you coming back in,” Kisumi began. “And we tried to warn you.”

“There was a guy surfing right behind you and he didn’t see you!” Toudou exclaimed.

“He hit you right in the back of the head,” Mei said, his usual cocky attitude gone, replaced by concern.

Well, that explained his splitting headache.

“We all saw you go under.” Ukai whistled. “Scared the shit outta us.”

“Sorry.” Oikawa tried sitting up and almost fell over.

“Take it easy,” Takeda said, placing a hand on his back.

“So, how did I end up here?” he asked.

“Kise-san,” Masa said in his deep voice.

“Ryouta-chan?”

“He was in the water in an instant,” Toudou said, violet eyes sparkling. “He was so heroic.”

Oikawa turned toward the man in question and raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Kise rubbed his neck. “I mean, it was my fault you ran off anyway, so…” He lowered his hand to his shoulder. “Anyway, by the time I got you out of the water, you weren’t breathing, so I-”

“Wait!” Oikawa held his hand out, his other reaching up to brush the tips of his fingers against his lips. “Don’t tell me you…”

“He saved your life,” Takeda said, looking proud. “But don’t worry. The moment Kise-kun pulled you in, we sent the girls away.”

Oikawa flopped back onto the sand and stared up at the sky.  At least they hadn’t seen.

He glanced over at Kise.  He supposed he owed him a 'thank you.'

“Ryouta-chan-” But he was interrupted by a fit of giggles. He turned and saw the girls ‘hiding’ behind a palm tree.

So much for them not seeing.

He closed his eyes took a deep breath, his lungs still burning.

How many days did they have left?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know you no longer need to use mouth-to-mouth during CPR, but it's kind of crucial to the plot, so...just go with it XD


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been 84 years... (actually, it's been almost 8 months) but I'm back!!  
> I've been meaning to finish this for so long, but I wrote so much for this AU so fast that I sort of burnt myself out. I have an idea for another part and I promised that I wouldn't write it until I finished this, so...TADA!!
> 
> Unbeta'd. Please enjoy!!

The dusk filming for the PV was rescheduled for the following day.  Although Oikawa claimed that he was fine and he’d be able to shoot, Takeda insisted that he go to the hospital.

“You lost consciousness, Oikawa-kun,” he’d said, his normally jovial or nervous face surprisingly stern.  “You could have a concussion.”

Oikawa asked if they planned on filming everyone else that evening, but, since there were so many group and dance shots, it would be a waste to bring out the crew twice.  And the lighting wouldn’t be any good for the close-ups.

And that made him feel even worse.  He was disappointed in himself.  Not only had he lost his temper.  _Again_.  But he’d cost his team time and money, two of the most important things in this business.  After publicity, of course.

Oikawa was admitted to the Wilcox Medical Center.  And the man who’d accidentally hit him with his surfboard was one of his first visitors.  Oikawa didn’t blame him.  _He_ was the one who’d gone too far out.  And, with a forced smile, he forgave the other man.

The doctor ran tests and Oikawa felt like he was back in high school, getting his knee examined after he’d pushed himself too hard.  He could almost hear Iwaizumi scolding him for overdoing it.  But where was Iwaizumi now?  Oikawa glowered, wincing as the nurse pierced his skin for an IV.  As it turned out, he was dehydrated and a little malnourished.  But what did he expect when he’d barely eaten since arriving in Hawai’i?

After he was poked and prodded, he was left to stew.  Kisumi and the others visited him, of course, but they couldn’t spend the entire night by his side.  So, once Ukai and Takeda corralled them, they left him alone.  Oikawa felt Kise’s eyes on him as their youngest member walked out of the room, but he didn’t look up.  He still owed him an apology and some gratitude, but now was not the time.  He was still too miserable.  He needed to suffer alone for a bit before he could act like a bigger person than he felt.

Besides, what did apologizing get him last time?  A snapshot plastered all over the internet.

Speaking of which…

Oikawa spotted his phone on top of his change of clothes Kisumi had brought him from their hotel room.  He was still in his hospital gown and would remain so until he was discharged, but it was still nice of his roommate to get them to him right away.

His phone was flashing.  Hesitantly, Oikawa reached for it and brought it close.  He unlocked the screen and grimaced.

One missed call.

Honestly, he was surprised.  He figured that he would have had tons of messages piled up, but, then again, his fans didn’t text his personal number. With a sigh, he played the voicemail.  Of course, it was from Iwaizumi.  He teared up when he heard his boyfriend’s voice, but the message was over before he realized.  A simple curse and then it ended.

Oikawa listened to it again, just to make sure he hadn’t accidentally hit a button with his cheek or something.  But, just like the first time, after the automated voice announced the time, the message played.

_‘Damn it-’_

Well, that could mean a few things.  Maybe Iwaizumi was really mad at him.  Or maybe he was upset that he couldn’t get in touch with him.  Or maybe he called him by mistake.

Oikawa’s head hurt.  He closed his eyes and then heard the door to his room open.  The doctor he met with when he first arrived walked in, holding  a chart.

“The results of your CT scan showed that everything looks normal,” he explained. “But we’d still like for you to stay the night.” Oikawa nodded and then the doctor continued. “Also, you have a visitor.”

He couldn’t help the way his heart fluttered.  For a moment, he entertained the idea that Iwaizumi had heard of his accident and was so worried that he flew all the way to Hawai’i, but he dismissed it.  It was much too far and there wasn’t nearly enough time for him to have done so.  Still, he was surprised when he saw Kise walk into the room, holding a bouquet a flowers.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” the doctor said with a little wink that made Oikawa want to tear through the sheets covering his lap, but he settled for gripping them tightly.

“Oikawacchi,” the blond greeted and then held out the bouquet.

“What are those supposed to be?” Oikawa asked, eyeing the bright yellow carnations that the other man so obviously picked up in the hospital’s lobby on his way in.

“A gift for my secret lover?” Kise offered with a cover-page-worthy smile.  Oikawa pulled a face. “But seriously, it was Takedacchi’s idea,” he said. “You’ve got about seventy or so fans downstairs trying to bribe the nurses to let them up to see you.” He chuckled. “I think every one of them got a shot of me bringing my sweetheart flowers-”

“I’m not your sweetheart,” Oikawa snapped, folding his arms over his chest.

“Of course, you’re not.” Kise frowned. “You know Kasamatsucchi is the only one for me.” He set the bouquet down on the bedside table and pulled up a chair. “I understand that this isn’t ideal,” he said, voice soft, as if he was talking to a petulant child – which, honestly, suited Oikawa at the moment, though he’d never admit it.  “But, if this makes us more popular and puts a little more money in Ukaicchi’s pocket, I don’t think it’s all that bad.”

Mentioning the money made Oikawa flinch.  He knew he was losing them money by not filming everything as planned, so the least he could do was get them a little more publicity to make up for it.

“You’re right,” he admitted, uncrossing his arms and letting his hands fall to the mattress. “I’m sorry, Ryouta-chan,” he said. “I’ve been acting like an ass this entire vacation.” He sighed. “And you even saved my life.” He shook his head. “You probably should have let me drown.”

“And run the risk of Toudoucchi getting all of your solos?” he asked, with a grin. “I wouldn’t _dream_ of it!”

“Har har, very funny,” Oikawa snorted, unable to hide a small smile.

“So, we’re okay?” Kise held out his hand and Oikawa hesitated for a moment before he took it, giving it a firm shake.

“Yes. Thank you, Ryouta-chan.”

“Anything for my schnookums.” He beamed.

“Okay, I’ll pretend we’re dating, but I refuse to accept that nickname.” He glared before sticking his nose in the air.

“Well, would you prefer Shittykawa then?” Kise offered.

“Hey now,” he began, narrowing his eyes. “Only Iwa-chan can call me that.”

“Okay, okay.” The blond held his hands up in defense. “Speaking of, have you called him to let him know you’re okay?”  Oikawa hadn’t, but he didn’t have a chance to say as much because Kise continued talking. “I called Kasamatsucchi to explain as soon as it happened. You know, just in case the pictures were already up.” He paused. “But he was half-asleep, so I’m going to call him back after I leave.”

“Don’t let me keep you,” Oikawa said.

“I know you can’t stand the thought of me leaving you for the night, my darling,” Kise joked, standing up with a flourish, his hand over his heart. “But I promise I’ll visit first thing in the morning, my love.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He rolled his eyes. “Now get out so I can start missing you.”

“As you wish,” Kise said and then his face grew serious. “I’m glad you're okay, Oikawacchi. And I promise to be a better fake boyfriend from now on.”

Oikawa was speechless.  Kise looked so earnest and sweet right then.  How did he do that?  How did he go from being annoying as hell to the world’s greatest boyfriend in the blink of an eye?  Damn model.  Damn genius.  But still, he’d put up with Oikawa, so he couldn’t _really_ be mad at him anymore.

“Me, too, Ryouta-chan.” He glanced over at the bright yellow blossoms on his nightstand. “And thank you for the flowers. I’m sure the fans will have a field day.”

“I’m sure they will,” he agreed and then walked toward the door. “See you in the morning.”

“See you!” Oikawa waved and then the other was gone.  He took a deep breath and looked at his phone, no longer flashing.  He wanted to call Iwaizumi back.  He wanted to tell him that he was fine, but he didn’t know if his boyfriend was mad at him or not.  And he was too tired to sit through a lecture.

He placed his phone next to the flowers and turned to face the other way, wriggling so he was lying down.  He closed his eyes and, the moment his head touched the pillow, he was out.

 

It was morning when Oikawa first peeked out through his lashes at the bright Hawai’ian sun shining through the blinds of the window beside his bed.  He rolled over and gave a stretch, wincing when he accidentally tugged the IV.  It had been changed overnight, probably several times. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep.

The flowers that had been on the table were now in a vase and his phone was plugged into its charger.  He reached for it, afraid of what he might see.  And, for a second, thought it was funny that his phone – something he almost always carried with him – had become a source of anxiety for him.

He had about ten messages and no missed calls.  The messages were all from his band mates.  Kisumi and Kise asked about his condition, while Toudou and Mei sent several screencaps of various blogs and fan websites.

The first picture was obvious.  It was at the beach with Kise leaning over him, tenderly cupping his chin as he brushed their lips together.  Of course, Oikawa and the rest of his crew knew better.  Though the screenshot from the second site – an unofficial fan page – had the headline, _‘After Saving the Love of His Life from Drowning, Kise gives Oikawa a Passionate Kiss on the Sand.’_

Oikawa rolled his eyes.  That was an unbelievably long headline.  Amateurs.

But at least he expected this photo.  The one he hadn’t been expecting was a photo of Kise walking up to his hospital room door with a bouquet in his hands.  He thought the blond had said that all of their fans were in the lobby.  Well, one must have sneaked by security.  Either that or one of the nurses or his enthusiastically supportive doctor was in on it.

The caption for the bouquet picture read, _‘Famous Model and Idol Kise Ryouta brings flowers to his injured boyfriend after an incident on the beach.’_

Oikawa scrubbed a hand over his face and put his phone down.  He really didn’t want to read anymore.  He didn’t mind pretending to date Kise, but the way their fans gushed over it made his stomach churn.  Maybe it wouldn’t bother him as much if Iwaizumi was with him.

An unpleasant icy feeling washed over him as he realized he hadn’t called his boyfriend – his _actual_ boyfriend – back yet.  He didn’t know what time it was in Hawai’i, so he certainly didn’t know what time it was back home, but he called anyway, preparing for the worst.

The phone rang five or six times before Iwaizumi answered, sounding groggy and gruff.

_‘Hello?’_

“Iwa-chan.”

 _‘You asshole,’_ came his aggravated reply.  Oikawa supposed he deserved that. _‘Shit, just…hold on.’_ There was some shuffling in the background, then Iwaizumi was back. _‘How are you feeling?’_

“I’m okay,” he lied.  Well, physically, he felt a little better than he had, though the back of his head was still a little tender.  Not wanting to talk about his near-death experience, he opted to discuss the hottest topic on the web. “Did you see the photos?”

Iwaizumi made a noncommittal noise in response.

“Um, Ryouta-chan was giving me mouth-to-mouth,” he explained, though he was sure Arakita had heard from Toudou and would have already forwarded the information.  He received only silence in reply and fought to fill it. “Though, I thought it was you at first, Iwa-chan,” he said with an awkward giggle. “But there was no way your lips would ever be that soft and-”

 _‘Tooru.’_ His voice was raspy, almost dark. _‘It’s four in the morning.’_

“Oh, right, sorry, um,” he floundered. “I just thought you’d like to know that I’m okay,” he said, ignoring the heat behind his eyes and the wetness spreading on his lashes. “B-But, if you w-weren’t even w-worried about me, then-”

 _‘Are you fucking kidding me?’_ Iwaizumi sounded beyond angry. _‘You-’_ he began, but cut himself off.  He said something else, but it was hard to hear him.  Oikawa only caught the last of it.  _‘-over the phone.’_

“What?”

 _‘I said, I don’t want to do this over the phone,’_ he repeated and sighed. _‘You’re okay?’_

“Well, yes.” He blinked in surprise.

_‘Okay, just…don’t do any more stupid shit, alright?’_

Oikawa gaped.  Was that it?  Iwaizumi was just going to make sure he wasn’t dead and then scold him?  Of course, that was it.  What had he been expecting?  The tears that had been threatening to spill began sliding down his cheeks and dribbling off of his chin.

“Iwa-chan…I’ll talk to you later,” he managed, his voice only a little wobbly.

 _‘Tooru, don’t-’_ but Oikawa didn’t wait for the rest.  He hung up and tossed his phone to the end of the bed.  Stupid Iwa-chan.  Stupid time difference.  Stupid everything.

There was a knock on his door and he quickly scrubbed his eyes with the bed sheet before he croaked out a quick, “Come in.”

“Good morning, Oikawacchi!” Kise sang, stepping into the room and holding out an even larger bouquet of fresh flowers. “I’m sorry I’m a little late but-” he paused, brows knitting together. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, Ryouta-chan,” he began, swallowing. “Why would you think-”

“Your eyes are red.” He set the flowers down and crossed over to the bed.  He sat on the edge and cupped the other’s cheeks, brushing his thumbs just under his lashes. “What happened?”

“Iwa-” but he stopped.  He didn’t want to talk about him, not while he was still so upset.  And not when Kise would rub it in his face later, saying, ‘Fighting like an old married couple again, huh?’ or the like.  Though, judging by the concern in those golden eyes, Oikawa might believe Kise would let it go, maybe even comfort him. “My head hurts,” he said.

Kise didn’t look like he bought it, but he nodded, releasing him. “I’ll call the nurse and have her bring you some more medicine,” he said. “And then we’ll see about getting you out of here, okay?”

Oikawa nodded, biting his lower lip to keep it from quivering. “Thank you, Ryouta-chan.”

 

It shouldn’t have surprised him that, after being discharged and back in the comfort of his shared hotel room, that he would find a photo of Kise on his hospital bed, cupping his cheeks and leaning in close.  The blond probably hadn’t shut the door when he came in that morning.

“Wow, you and Ryouta are really playing it up, aren’t you?” Kisumi asked as he spotted the image over his shoulder. “Takeda-san and Ukai-san must be thrilled,” he added with a smile and a pat on his shoulder.

“Yeah.” Oikawa stared at the picture.  There was no odd angle this time.  It was just a picture of the blond comforting him and being unbelievably sweet.  It was no wonder he was so popular.

“We’re going to be heading out for the shoot in a few minutes,” Kisumi announced. “Are you sure you’re feeling up to it.”

“Of course.” He set his phone on the nightstand, not wanting to look at it for a while. “Even if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t want to set us back any more than I already have.”

“Ah, you’re such a trooper,” Kisumi said, but, coming from him, it was genuine. “Let me know if your head starts hurting or anything and I’ll be the one to demand a break, okay?”

Kisumi was honestly the sweetest member in their group.  Although, Kise was rapidly moving up the list. 

“I appreciate that, Kisumi-chan.” He stood up and linked their arms. “But wouldn’t Jinpachi-chan or Mei-chan be more suited to demand such things?”

“I just thought I’d give it a try,” the other man offered with a laugh.

“Well, I appreciate it.” Oikawa led them toward the door. “But I’ll be fine.”

“If you’re sure-”

“I’m positive,” he swore. “Now, let’s go before Takeda-chan has a panic attack.” He sniggered, trying to sound like his old self.  It was tough, but he could do it.  He could push out negative thoughts and forget about his fight with Iwaizumi – if that’s what it was.  He was a professional and he was determined to do whatever was required of him.  And if that meant pretending to date a famous model, so be it.

 

Dating Kise turned out to be pretty fun.  He was the perfect boyfriend.  No, really, he was.  Because he knew exactly what it took to fill that role.  And that’s exactly how he treated it.  Kise was a better actor than Oikawa had originally given him credit for.  He held doors open for him, gave him bottles of water during their shoots, and was always by his side whenever they were traveling from one location to the next.  He even escorted him to his room and pecked him on the cheek each night before bed.

Of course, Oikawa was aware that this was just an act.  Not because they’d agreed to ‘pretend,’ but because he knew what the blond was like around his _actual_ boyfriend.  Fake Boyfriend Kise was all, ‘Here, Darling,’ and ‘Are you feeling tired, Oikawacchi? Want to rest your head on my shoulder?’

Meanwhile, the way he acted around Kasamatsu was nothing like his perfect lover persona.  But, for that, Oikawa was glad.  He didn’t think he could deal with the clingy, sugar-sweet version.  It was a wonder that Kasamatsu could stand it.

The days went by quickly and soon they were completely done with all of their filming.  It was a tremendous relief.  They were one week into their two week ‘vacation’ and all that was left was the concert that evening, a few meet and greets over the next few days, and a daytime farewell concert right before they were scheduled to fly home.  They could do it.  Oikawa could do it.

The fans really seemed to be liking his and Kise’s implied relationship. _'OiKise'_ was trending and people couldn’t open a web browser without seeing images of the two holding hands or the several infamous ‘kiss’ shots.  Their ratings were up and everyone was happy, including their manager and producer.

“I’m so proud of you two!” Ukai was grinning from ear to ear as he walked into their greenroom – a hotel room on the first floor close to the venue where they’d be performing after the luau. “One kiss pic and a week later, they can’t keep your CDs on the shelves!” He clapped Kise hard on the back. “They’re especially going after the Limited C and F versions of your most recent release.”

Oikawa knew the ones he meant.  They always put out singles in several versions, each with a different image on the jacket.  The Limited A had been one of all of them, but B-F were solo shots, C being Oikawa’s and F being Kise’s, as they were in age order.  He was happy that they were getting equal attention.

Of course, when he thought of attention, he was reminded that the one person who should have been paying him some hadn’t been.  In fact, he’d only missed one call from Iwaizumi since their ‘fight’ and the other hadn’t even left a message that time.  It had been four days since he’d last heard from his boyfriend and he’d been trying his best not to think about it, but it was hard.

“In addition to the sales, we’ve gotten seven thousand e-mails asking for more information and for us to officially confirm it,” Takeda said from beside their producer. “I think I’d like for you to make a formal announcement at your concert this evening.”

“A formal announcement!” Toudou exclaimed. “Will we all be invited to the wedding?” he asked and Mei laughed along with him.

“Oh, come now,” Kisumi hushed them. “Takeda-san doesn’t mean it like that.”

“Of course not,” their manager replied. “I don’t mean for you to come right out and say that you’re dating,” he explained. “But I’d like to change the blocking so you two are next to each other before your encore.” His cheeks tinted a bit before he adjusted his glasses and continued. “Then I’d like you to hold hands and, um, well-”

“Kiss,” Ukai finished for him. “Just a quick peck,” he added when Oikawa and Kise turned wide eyes on him.

“Ukai-chan, you can’t be serious!” Oikawa gaped, feeling like he’d had a bucket of ice water dumped over his head.  Being flirty and cutesy was one thing, but to kiss on stage in front of everyone?

“I agree with Oikawacchi!” Kise stood up, placing a hand over his heart. “We haven’t actually kissed, if you recall.”

“I know that,” Ukai said with a slight frown. “But the fans are asking for it and it’s not like other groups haven't had their members kiss on stage for fan service.”

He wasn’t wrong and that made Oikawa’s stomach churn.

“We promise that this’ll be the end of it,” Takeda interjected. “After we’re back in Japan, we’ll be promoting the new single and music video, so the fans’ attention will be on that.”

Oikawa and Kise exchanged glances.  It was clear that the blond wasn’t comfortable with it, but he sighed and offered Oikawa a weak smile.

“If you think it’s what’s best for the group,” he said and then added, “and if Oikawacchi is okay with it.”

Oikawa tried to swallow, but it got stuck in his throat.  He hadn’t kissed anyone other than his Iwa-chan since they’d gotten together.  Sure, Kise had pressed their lips together when he was giving him mouth-to-mouth, but that was different.  He couldn’t betray Iwaizumi in that way.

 _But_ , a small voice reminded him, _your precious Iwa-chan hasn’t tried to contact you at all. Are you sure you’re even still together? What’s to betray?_

“Oikawacchi?” Kise asked, golden eyes concerned.

“Oh.” He shook his head, clearing the dark thoughts. “Yeah, um...I’ll do it.”  He ignored the looks Toudou and Mei gave each other and the apologetic smile Kisumi was trying to send his way.  He chose, instead, to focus on the grinning faces of their producer and manager.

At least _they_ were happy.

 

The Luau was packed.  The entire venue had sold out months ago, the day after SPICE’s concert had been announced.  There were tons of flashing lights coming from the tables behind theirs and, after several minutes of turning to smile and wave, the members necks were beginning to grow sore and they opted to face toward the stage where the staff was performing a traditional hula.

“I tried, but he’s not answering,” Oikawa heard Toudou hiss from beside him.  He turned and saw their ‘middle-child’ and Mei both hunched over the former’s phone.  It was already dusk and the light from the screen was illuminating their faces.

“You’d better put that away before Kisumi-chan catches you,” he said, startling them.

“Oh, right.” Toudou swallowed and quickly shoved his phone into his pants pocket. “Wouldn’t want that,” he gave an awkward giggle and, had Oikawa’s mind not been filled with his impending kiss, he probably would have pressed him about it.  But he was probably just trying to get a hold of Arakita.  The roadie who actually bothered to _call_ his boyfriend while he was four thousand miles away.

Again, Oikawa was reminded of the last time he and Iwaizumi had spoken.  The other man had been half asleep, but it still didn’t excuse his attitude.  Then again, Oikawa had been the one to screw everything up.  If he could just control his temper and not fly off the handle because of his worthless pride, he wouldn’t even be in this mess. 

The server came to their table and set down a small wooden bowl filled with a viscous purplish grey substance in front of each of them.  Oikawa eyed it suspiciously.

“It’s poi,” Kisumi said from beside him. “It’s a palate cleanser between courses.”

“Oh.” Oikawa pointed a finger into it and scrunched his nose when he pulled back and it dribbled off. “Looks…good,” he lied.

“Yeah, just don’t try to put it on your face, like Toudou, here.” Mei snorted and elbowed the dark-haired man in question. “This idiot thought it was a cream mask.”

“ _You’re_ the one who told me it was the Hawai'ian's secret to their soft and supple skin!” Toudou screeched and was immediately shushed by Takeda at the other end of the table.  He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Besides, it turns out that taro is good for your complexion, so it all worked out.”

“Just don’t put it all over your face at dinner again,” he said with another laugh. “We have a performance tonight, though, honestly, it would be a better look than your current one.”  The two continued to bicker, but Oikawa turned his attention back on his plate.  The dancers on the stage had finished and soon it would be time to eat.  And then…the concert.

“Are you sure you’re okay with it?” Kisumi asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. “If you’ve changed your mind, I’ll talk to Takeda-san.”

“It’s fine.” He shook his head. “I’m just a little nervous about doing it on stage, is all.”  A lie.  A big fat lie.  And Kisumi probably knew it.  How long had they been performing together?  Traveling together?  Of course, he knew.  But he was also respectful of Oikawa’s boundaries.

“Okay. But if you _do_ change your mind,” he began, giving him a look, “don’t hesitate to tell me.”

“You’re a good man, Kisumi-chan.” He smiled and, for the first time in a while, it wasn’t forced.

“Why, thank you, Tooru.” The other beamed and then the server was back with their first course.

Eating in front of the fans was always a tricky balancing act.  One had to prove that idols did, in fact, consume food for sustenance, but they also had to bear in mind that people were watching their every move.  A little bit of sauce on the cheek was cute and it allowed another member to wipe it off with their napkin.  But if one ate too quickly and choked or burped, the fans didn’t always find that charming.

In addition, the amount was very important.  Eating too much before a concert could end very badly, but not eating enough could start rumors and, knowing their fanbase, those were the kind that spread like wildfire.

So, Oikawa did his best to eat what he thought was the right amount.  It should have been easy to manage, but his mind was elsewhere.  Soon, the server was clearing away their plates as a man appeared on stage and announced the local band that would be opening for them.

Oikawa’s heart started to pound and his stomach roiled.  It was almost time.  And, before he knew it, they were being led backstage.

“I can’t believe I ate that much,” Toudou complained as they were ushered toward the steps. “I won’t be able to fit into my old costumes after this vacation.”

“Oh, please.” Mei rolled his eyes. “You barely touched your pork.”

“That's because the pig was _staring_ at me from the main table, Miya-chan!” he whined.

“Please don’t fight, guys,” Kise said, using his typical catchphrase.  He was always the one to break up their pretend fights on stage and he tended to break them up off stage as well.  The blond shook his head and then turned, eyes locking with Oikawa’s.  “You okay, Oikawacchi?”

“Yeah,” he replied, averting his gaze.  When had lying become so easy?  “You ready to lay one on me?” he asked, trying to sound confident.  But when he glanced back up, Kise wasn’t laughing or smiling.  He was chewing on his bottom lip, his eyes downcast. “Ryouta-chan?”

“Okay everyone!” Takeda appeared with Ukai hovering right behind.  Honestly, their producer probably should have stayed in his seat, but the two were inseparable, it seemed. “The local stagehands are going to take over from here, so big smiles and make sure you’ve got your blocking down for the new song.” He grinned, his eyes slipping closed into slits. “And remember to all act very shocked right before the encore.”

Oikawa’s stomach churned again.  Right before the encore was when Kise was supposed to kiss him.  He swallowed, biting his lip and wincing when he actually broke the skin.

“Good luck out there!” Ukai called over his shoulder and Takeda pushed him back toward their seats. “Make me proud!” he shouted.

“He’s something else,” Kisumi said and then gasped. “Tooru, you’re bleeding.”

“I am?” Oikawa brought a hand to his lips and it came away stained red. Shit.

“Hold on.” Kisumi reached into his pocket and pulled out a pink handkerchief. “Here.”

“Hey, shouldn’t his boyfriend be handling that?” Kise interrupted, still looking uneasy, but flashing a smile that almost looked genuine. “I have some lip balm for when the bleeding stops.”

In the past, Oikawa would have felt insulted that the other assumed he didn’t have his own on his person, in several different flavors and tints, but now he just mumbled a ‘thank you’ around the fabric.

The local band had just finished their set and the announcer returned to the stage.  The audience immediately started screaming and something much more unpleasant than pre-show jitters began fluttering around in Oikawa’s stomach.

“Hey.” Kise put a hand on his lower back, leaning close so he could be heard over the crowd. “It’ll be okay, right? It’s just pretend.” Oikawa wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince, but he nodded along. “We’ve got this.”

“Yeah.” And then Kisumi's name was announced, followed by cheers and screams.  He was next and he plastered on his album-cover-worthy grin and made his way out onto the stage.  It had gotten dark and all he could see was turquoise glow sticks – mixed with a few remaining pink ones – and the tiki torches.

After a short introduction, they performed their newest song.  It was easy enough, since they’d spent the last week listening to it over and over again during their filmings.  They had the blocking down and the dance moves, though done on a flat stage instead of the sand, were flawless.

Oikawa felt alive when he was on stage.  He belonged there with his fans cheering and his fellow group members by his side.  He’d almost forgotten about the kiss entirely until he was handed his towel at the ‘end of their show’ and the crowd started to cheer _‘ENCORE! ENCORE! ENCORE!’_

Kise had already crossed over to him, just like they’d discussed.  The blond’s face looked apologetic, but then he turned and winked at the audience before grabbing Oikawa around the middle and dipping him, their faces mere millimeters apart.

This was it.  This was it.  This was-

But then the lights went out.  Disappointed groans resounded from the crowd and he swore he heard Toudou let out a high-pitched squeal before there was another pair of arms around him, ripping him from Kise’s embrace.

Oikawa’s initial thought was to fight back.  To bite and claw at the strong arms around him and wriggle away from the sturdy body holding him close.  But there was something about the way the man was holding him.  It was familiar.  He froze.

“Iwa-chan?”

The man released him and he took a step back.  The lights slowly came back on and it was then that he realized the other had dragged him off stage.  He heard Kisumi making some sort of excuse, then the instrumental for his solo started and the crowd was chanting again as he began to sing.

“Iwa-chan,” he focused on his boyfriend, not sure if he was really even there. “What?”

“Tooru,” he panted.  He was trying to catch his breath and sweat was dripping down the sides of his face. 

“Did you run here?” Oikawa offered as a joke, but his face fell when the other nodded.

“I didn’t want to be late.” Iwaizumi took a deep breath and stood up to his full height, still a bit shorter than Oikawa even now. “I…” And then he was quiet.  Oikawa wasn’t sure how to feel.  On the one hand, he was ecstatic, but on the other, well, he was still pretty mad at his boyfriend.  Finally, he broke the silence.

“Got tired of giving me the silent treatment long-distance, so you decided to do it here?” he asked, folding his arms over his chest and glaring down his nose at him.

“Silent…what? _You’re_ the one who-” but Iwaizumi stopped and shook his head. “I came to apologize."

Oikawa raised his brows, his interest piqued. “Well, go on.”

“You’re childish and a brat-”

“Off to a good start, Iwa-chan.” He rolled his eyes.

“No, I…damn it, Tooru.” Iwaizumi stepped closer. “You almost drowned and I had to hear about it from someone else.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “You ignored my calls and then-”

“This is a _really_ shitty apology, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa burst out, tears stinging his eyes.

“Damn it, I suck at this.” Iwaizumi ran a hand through his hair. “What I meant to say was…I was worried out of my mind, but I knew you probably had a good reason not to call me. But then, I couldn’t get in contact with you and when you finally called, I was half asleep and grouchy and angry and…”

“And…?” He quirked a brow.

“I lashed out at you, like an ass,” he said. “I tried calling again, but you didn’t answer and I figured I should give you some space.”

“Four days’ worth?” Oikawa frowned.

“I knew I shouldn’t have listened to Kasamatsu…”

“What does Yukio-chan have to do with this?” he asked. “This is between us, Iwa-chan.”

“I wanted to call you every day,” he admitted. “But I was afraid to talk to you because I thought I might say something horrible.”

“Like everything you just said to me?” Oikawa offered with a small smile.

Iwaizumi glanced up, looking almost sheepish as he nodded. “Yeah, just…damn it, Tooru. I love you. I love you so much and I know that you and Kise were dating as a publicity stunt and I was trying to be as patient as Kasamatsu, but…” He sighed. “I couldn’t.”

“You never say that, you know.” He stepped closer.

“Say what?” Iwaizumi drew his brows down in confusion.

“That you love me.”

His boyfriend’s dark hazel eyes widened for a moment before he looked away again. “I’m a shitty boyfriend.”

“Yeah. The worst.” Oikawa grinned. “But,” he added in a singsong voice. “You did travel four thousand miles to ‘save me’ from being kissed by my fake lover, so…” He wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi’s neck and touched their noses. “I’d say we’re about even.”

“Yeah?” Iwaizumi breathed against his lips. “You still tend to be pretty annoying, though…”

“Don’t ruin the moment, Iwa-chan.” He gave him a quick peck and then the tears he’d been trying so hard to hold back finally fell, pouring down his cheeks. “I love you, Hajime.”

“You crybaby.” The other man wiped some of his tears away, cupping his cheeks and pulling him close. “I love you, too, Tooru. So much. And…I’m sorry that I don’t show it enough.”

“And…and you d-don’t get jealous,” Oikawa added, since they were finally talking.

“Jealous?” Iwaizumi blinked. “Why would I get jealous?”

“Because I’m a gorgeous pop star who’s wanted by millions!” he cried, throwing his arms out.

“So?”

Oikawa faltered and dropped his arms to his sides. “…so?”

“Yeah. So, what?” Iwaizumi stared at him, his cheeks tinting the lightest shade of pink as he continued. “You’ve always been gorgeous and popular and if I got jealous every time someone came up to you, I’d never get any work done.”

He blinked owlishly and then opened his mouth. “You think I’m gorgeous?”

“Of _course_ I do.” Iwaizumi growled. “You’re the most beautiful person in the world, you idiot.” He scrubbed his face, which was growing redder. “And, I don’t get jealous because…I love you and I trust you and I know you love me.” He paused. “At least, I hope you still love me after all this.”

Oikawa didn’t answer at first.  He just jumped into his boyfriend’s arms, nearly knocking the other man over. “I love you, Hajime,” he sobbed, burying his face in his shoulder.  “So,” he pulled back, wiping his eyes and smiling through his tears. “You’re stuck with me.”

“Haven’t I always been?” Iwaizumi gave a rare, soft smile and then tilted Oikawa’s chin.

“Always,” Oikawa agreed. “And forever.”

“Forever,” the other man repeated before giving him a proper kiss.

And, needless to say, the others finished the concert with one less member.

 

Oikawa found out later that Iwaizumi hadn’t come by himself.  Which explained Toudou’s inhuman squeal he’d heard when the lights went out.  Iwaizumi’d had an accomplice.  Well, three of them, actually.

“So, you couldn’t answer my calls because you were still on the plane?” Toudou asked from his place in Arakita’s lap, looking up through his lashes at the taller man.  They were all relaxing in the greenroom after the concert.

“That and Iwaizumi was freaking out,” he replied. “ _I have to get to Tooru and apologize!_ ” he said, sounding exactly like the other roadie.

“I was _not_ freaking out,” Iwaizumi grumbled and Oikawa thought it was so cute the way he pouted.

“I’m glad you were panicking, Iwa-chan,” he said, snuggling closer to him on the couch. “It’s adorable.”

“I wasn’t panic-”

“I’m just surprised you were all able to come,” Kisumi mused, violet eyes scanning the room before settling on his own boyfriend. “Not that I’m complaining.” He gave Asahi a kiss on the cheek.

“Well, as it turned out, since it was so last minute, it was cheaper to get the family package,” the redhead explained. “So, if anyone asks, Arakita-san and I are married and Iwaizumi-san and Kasamatsu-san are our children,” he said with a snicker.

“Speaking of Yukio-chan.” Oikawa looked around. He only spotted four couples in the room. “Where did he and Ryouta-chan go?”

“I think they went off to have their own private reunion, if you know what I mean,” Mei replied and was immediately chastised by Masa.

“Mei!” he scolded.

“What? It’s true.” He craned his neck to peer around his boyfriend's hefty girth. “Right, Toudou?” But the other was too preoccupied with Arakita.

“Hmm?” he asked, not looking away.

“Never mind.”

“So, this really ended up working out well for everyone,” Oikawa said. “I didn’t have to kiss Ryouta-chan,” he pretended to ignore his boyfriend’s little growl at that, “and we all get to vacation in Hawai’i with our boyfriends!” he cheered. “It’s a win-win.”

“Not quite.” Takeda appeared, looking exhausted. “I just finished explaining what happened with the lights and why Oikawa-kun was absent from the encore songs.”

“Oh, right.” Oikawa shrunk down, trying to hide behind Iwaizumi.

“You did a great job, Ittesu!” Ukai slapped him on the back. “And you managed to shift the focus onto the new single.” He wrapped an arm around him. “I love you.”

“Yes, well.” Takeda adjusted his glasses. “Anyway, I’ve yet to figure out what to do with our four extra guests.” He eyed them.

“It’s no big, Takeda-san,” Asahi spoke up. “Our package included two hotel rooms, so we’re all set.”

“That’s not really what I-”

“And you _can’t_ send them home,” Toudou argued, wrapping both his arms and legs around Arakita. “You’re not that cruel.”

“Plus, we’ve finished filming, so there are only a few events left, right?” Kisumi added.

Takeda’s shoulders slumped as he sighed.  Then he stood back up and checked his tablet. “Well, we should have plenty of time and if I move a few things around, we can see about adding some tours with four extra-”

“That’s my Ittetsu.” Ukai beamed. “So, you said we had extra time, right? What do you say about joining me for some surfing lessons?”

“Ukai-kun, as I’ve mentioned before, I have no interest-”

“But now’s our chance. C’mon, let’s go!” he hooked an arm around the shorter man and began dragging him off.

“But I don’t want to and it’s nighttime right now…” Takeda whined. “KEISHIN!!” And then they were gone.

“So,” Kisumi pursed his lips. “If I’ve done my math correctly, with your two extra rooms, that gives us more than enough to-”

“Race you there!” Toudou called, grabbing Arakita’s hand and pulling him down the hall and toward the elevators. “Miya-chan, we’re taking our room, you can share with Masa-chan.”

“That’s fair,” Mei called after them and then waggled his eyebrows at a red-faced Masa.

“Kisumi-chan, you and Asahi-chan can have our room,” Oikawa offered. “Right, Iwa-chan?”

Iwaizumi didn’t answer.  Instead, he stood up, unceremoniously dropping Oikawa off of his lap and onto the couch.

“Iwa-chan, mean! What are you-” but then the room spun as he found himself thrown over his boyfriend’s shoulder. “Iwa-chan?!”

“Would you prefer I carry you princess-style?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Actually, yes.” Oikawa kicked his feet and lifted his head, folding his arms over his chest.

“Not gonna happen,” Iwaizumi snorted and then walked out the door and toward the elevators, ignoring the way Oikawa pounded on his back with his fists.

“Iwa-chan, put me down, you brute!” But he was laughing.  He was every bit as excited to go upstairs as his boyfriend was.  And, when Iwaizumi finally put him down, setting him gently back onto his feet, Oikawa barely waited until the doors were closed before he crushed their lips together.

When the doors opened with a ding, they quickly pulled apart.

“I see you’ve learned not to kiss where your fans can see you,” Iwaizumi said.

“Yes, I think I’ve learned my lesson.” Oikawa rolled his eyes and moved to step out of the elevator, but Iwaizumi grabbed his hand. “Iwa-chan?”

“I love you, Tooru,” he said, face red. “I’m sorry I haven’t said it that much.”

“Aww, is Iwa-chan embarrassed?” He walked back, cupping the other’s flaming cheeks.

“Damn it, Shittykawa, I’m trying to be serious here.”

“Oh, my bad!” Oikawa grabbed his hand and dragged him out into the hallway. “But I like when Iwa-chan’s face gets all flushed,” he said. “And when we get to our room.” He smirked. “I’m going to-” But Iwaizumi had already switched their positions, tugging him along.  Oikawa laughed as they ran at full speed, stumbling when their shoes caught on the thick hall carpet.

Iwaizumi was there.  He was there and he loved him.  They were closer than ever and, whether their relationship was domestic or not, he could still light a fire in him.

Suddenly, another week on Kauai didn’t seem so bad, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, everybody loves a happy ending.  
> I considered writing about Iwa-chan and his "family" making their way to Kauai as a short side story, but I'll just copy+paste a link to that scene from The Wedding Singer. I also played around with the idea of showing Kise and Kasamatsu's reunion. But...I'll probably just let this story end and move on.
> 
> The next part features Kise and their newest member~ Please look forward to it!
> 
> Let me know what you think and hit me up on tumblr [@jubesy](http://jubesy.tumblr.com)!

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought and check me out on tumblr [@jubesy](http://jubesy.tumblr.com/)


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